Like Snow
by MistyRose14
Summary: These emotions keep building up... Just like snow.
1. Chapter 1

**salut et quoi de neuf (hi and what's new)! this is Like Snow, my first fanfic. my sis, LilacArcher12, read it, and i want to take the time right now to thank her (merci beaucoup and arigato). i'm working hard to finish the next couple of chapters, so they should be up soon. please review and enjoy...**

**disclaimer: full moon wo sagashite and their songs are not mine**

Like Snow…

_Eternal Snow:_

_I'm falling in love with you, and which will come to pass?_

_Will the feeling do nothing but swell, or_

_Will you notice it?_

_Even though I've never said anything?_

Kouyama Mitsuki sighed gently as she watched the snow falling quietly outside of her window. Her bedroom was extremely warm, due to her health, but the snow gave her a sense of winter. The two Shinigami, or collector's of people's souls, Takuto and Meroko (or Negi Ramen), were up on the roof, probably watching the snow as well. A while ago, they showed up in her room, informing her that she was going to die in a year. The time was drawing closer, but there was only one more thing Mitsuki wanted to do. They had already helped her become the new singing sensation, _Full Moon_, but she had a promise that she had to keep to someone very close to her.

Tired of the silence in her room, Mitsuki very cautiously turned up the small radio in her room. If it was too loud, her grandmother would hear it, and she hated music, claiming that it ruined people's lives. Fortunately her new song, _Eternal Snow_, was on the radio, and she gently sang along with it, careful not to disturb the tumor growing in her throat.

"_Kimi wo suki ni natte dorekurai tatsu no ka na? Kimochi fukurande yuku bakari_-" Mitsuki was about to finish the last line, but Meroko came in through the roof.

"Aw, that Takuto! Why won't he understand?!" Meroko complained, clearly frustrated. She adjusted her bunny-eared hat and sat down next to Mitsuki. "He's all gloomy for some reason, like he's got a huge secret, _and_, he's not going to tell me!"

"Meroko, I'm sure he's just worried about something small. He probably doesn't want to worry you too," Mitsuki assured her as she turned off the radio.

"You're awfully optimistic for a twelve-year-old with cancer," Meroko reminded her. "Honestly, I wonder how you get through it all - you've lost both of your parents, and your grandma absolutely hates music-"

"True, but I've got the help of one cheerful rabbit and a kind cat," She picked up her debut CD, _Myself, _which had a picture of her sixteen-year-old self on it. "I can do anything now. The only thing I have left to do is…"

"Meet him again," Meroko said for her.

Mitsuki nodded. Sakurai Eichi was a friend of her's two years ago at the orphanage. He repeatedly told her that he loved her, but she was too shy to answer him. When he was adopted and moved to America, Mitsuki wasn't sure when she would see him again. But before he left, they made a promise to continue pursuing their dreams.

"I have to release at least one more song before I go to America, right?" she asked Meroko.

"Yeah, have you thought about one yet?"

"A little bit, but maybe Takuto could help me?" Mitsuki remembered that he said he was a singer when he was alive, so he would have experience in songwriting.

"I'm not sure. He might not remember." Meroko caught Mitsuki's disappointed look at once. "B-but I could go check for you!" she added cheerfully.

"Thank you very much, Meroko!" Mitsuki added before Meroko returned to the roof.

"What am I getting myself into?" Meroko asked herself while she was leaving.

_Like snow, but quietly_

_It continues to pile up_

Takuto was relaxing peacefully on the roof, observing the stars. He wasn't sure if he had ever felt this calm when he was alive, but it was nice to have some time by himself.

The moon was shining brightly in the sky, and Takuto smiled. It reminded him of Mitsuki and her bright attitude, but it also reminded him of Eichi, the boy that Mitsuki was absolutely in love with. Bothered by the thought, he pounded his fist down on the roof. Why did her dream only have to be for a boy anyways? Wasn't music supposed to come from your own heart, not somebody else's? Maybe he would just have to show her how music was meant to be. With his sudden inspiration, he sung to himself, putting some of the feelings he had over the last year into his song.

"_I feel you in me. I don't know where, but I feel you. The cold comes over me, but you are warming my heart…_" Takuto was about to finish the beginning off, but suddenly, memories of his past flooded to him, and he felt his lungs and throat burn in pain. The heat of a performance stage's lights glowed on his skin, and the familiar feeling of gripping a microphone in front of hundreds of fans rushed through his nerves. "No…stop…" he begged weakly.

Meroko floated up to the roof, expecting Takuto to still be the grumpy old self she left before. But instead, he was struggling in pain. "Takuto! What's wrong? Takuto?!" she floated next to him and held him in her arms. A few seconds later, his breathing was regulated, and his pain disappeared. "Takuto, what happened?" Meroko's concern glimmered in her bright pink eyes.

Takuto considered telling Meroko what happened for a brief moment, then decided against it. If he told her, she would suggest that he be removed from the case. There was something about that girl that kept him feeling alive.

"Takuto…please don't tell me that it was nothing," Meroko pleaded softly. "If you are worried that I will take you off the case…even thought I should, I won't. We are too involved now, and I won't betray your trust…"

Takuto was surprised at how mature Meroko was being currently. Typically, she didn't think things over, and was extremely loud and bossy. But this time, she actually wanted to help him.

"I only remembered a small part of my life." He admitted at last.

Meroko's expression was serious and she reached over to hold his hand. "I may seem like all I want to do is get between you and Mitsuki, but I don't want you to fade away. Please be more careful, Takuto. I'm not the only one who needs you…" She wiped away a tear on her face and put on a brave smile. "Come on, Takuto. You're song writing expertise is needed." She extended her hand, waiting for him to join her.

"Thanks, Meroko," he said as he descended to Mitsuki's room without taking her hand. He would actually enjoy having Meroko around more often if she acted like she currently was.

Meroko frowned and curled her hand into a fist. "Aw, Takuto, you're so mean!" she whined to herself under the moon.

_Hold me tight if I think like this_

_I didn't want to know_

_What it was like to fall in love with someone_

_I love you; my tears won't stop_

_Therefore, I should be free of you_

Truthfully, Mitsuki was not a natural songwriter. Her first song was fine, but that was because she had a little bit of help from the people at the studio. This time, she had promised her manager that she would write one on her own. Since Shinigami weren't exactly alive, maybe it would still count as on her own. Before Takuto came down, she decided that she would focus as hard as she could and begin working.

"Hey, Mitsuki, I'm going to help…I guess," Takuto announced as he entered the room.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" Mitsuki screamed, surprised that Takuto was there. Sure, she knew he was coming, but she was too focused in her work.

"Shh! You know, if you're grandma heard you, she'll think some freak got into your room," he reminded her.

"That's right, I'm the only one who can see Shinigami…" she quickly turned on the television to create an excuse incase someone heard her. She waited for a few minutes, but nobody came. "Hmm, I guess my voice really isn't that loud."

"We were just lucky that time," Takuto sighed with relief. Mitsuki giggled and Takuto watched her happiness with a smile. For a moment, he felt his heart fill with warmth, but he suddenly stopped it, reminding himself of his job.

"I'm sorry. It's not really that funny…but you should have seen you're expression, Takuto."

"Yeah, well, let's get to work," he said with his grumpy attitude.

Meroko floated down, as him and Mitsuki began to work on the music. "I guess I'll just pick out _Full Moon's _outfit for tomorrow, _again_." Meroko grumbled quietly, floating off to Mitsuki's closet.

For some reason, the two of them never wanted her help. She was always alone, doing the minor job and getting even less credit for it. Her pink hair glittered while she turned her head to look back at them. They were always laughing or singing or smiling together and it made Meroko feel lonely. She knew that the feeling of loneliness was not new, but familiar from when she was a human. It stung and ached in her heart, knowing that even after she died, she was alone and nobody wanted her, especially Takuto. She finally made it to the closet, tears streaming down her cheeks. Exhausted and emotionally finished with her situation, she lie down and fell asleep.

"Takuto, what should I sing about?" Mitsuki asked, tapping her pen on the paper in front of her.

"Why are you asking me?" Takuto said, clearly annoyed, with his arms crossed.

"Because I don't know myself."

"Then I can't help you."

"But Takuto, why?" Mitsuki looked at him with her eyes that normally got Takuto to do anything for her.

"Because your music has to come from your heart, not mine. Otherwise, it won't mean anything to you or your fans." He looked away from her to avoid her stare.

"I know what I feel, but I can't put it into words…" Mitsuki's voice faded, the way it normally did when she thought about Eichi.

Takuto rolled his eyes knowing exactly what she was doing. "Fine, I'll start you off. What do you feel about your Eichi?"

"What?" Mitsuki asked, surprised that he mentioned Eichi.

"You heard me. Now answer me."

Mitsuki reached deep into her heart and memories to think about Eichi. Feelings of cheerfulness and sorrow came back to her. She closed her eyes to see her emotions more clearly. When she opened her eyes, she saw Takuto in his cat hat looking at her with such great care.

"Do you both see and feel everything?"

"Yes…" she looked at her paper. "I guess I need to sing it first before I can put my feelings on paper."

He smiled at how much she had grown as a musician. Maybe at first it was for a selfish reason, but now she was finally seeing how to release her feelings into the world.

Mitsuki took a deep breath, carefully singing softer than usual to prevent her throat condition from acting up. "_I feel you in me. I don't know where, but I feel you. The cold comes over me, but you are warming my heart. Why do you have such a strong effect on me? How do you do it so easily? Someday I'll be…_" she stopped singing before her coughing could begin and picked up her pen.

Takuto's eyes shot wide open. Wasn't that the song he was just singing? How in the world could they have the same song in their hearts?

"Takuto…thank you," Mitsuki said giving him a warm smile. "I think I can write the rest now."

"Sure," he said as he flew back up to the roof to sort things out.

_How long will I keep thinking of you?_

_My sigh makes the window glass fog up_

Meroko sighed with boredom while waiting with Takuto outside of Mitsuki's manager's office. Takuto was playing with a handheld video game and had no intention of talking to her.

"Takuto…" Meroko said with a singsong voice. "I think Mitsuki will be talking with her manager, Ooshige-san, for a _very_ long time. Why don't we go do something fun, because I am bored." Meroko stretched out in her chair and yawned to emphasize her point.

"No," Takuto said plainly, without even looking at her.

"Aw, why not? This place is so boring! I can't take it anymore!"

"Stop making a scene."

"I can do whatever I want because no one can see us!" Meroko hopped out of her seat and tugged the video game out of Takuto's hands. "I can't believe even the _video game_ gets more attention than me," she muttered to herself.

"Meroko, stop doing stupid things. You're acting immature." He jumped out of his seat as well and hovered next to her. "I'll ask nicely the first time, but if I have to warn you again-"

"What will you do?" Meroko teased him. "What can you possibly do to me?"

Takuto moaned, irritated at Meroko's habit of bugging him whenever she had nothing to do. "Can I please have that back?" he attempted to ask in the calmest voice he could use.

"No."

"Why not?!" Takuto yelled at her. "You know what, I don't care anymore. I'll just go into the meeting." He began to fly towards the room, but Meroko grabbed his arm. "Let go," he said firmly.

"Fine, you want the game back. Then you have to kiss me." Meroko's conscience started to doubt what she said. Was it really the right thing to do forcing him to like her?

"I…won't…" Takuto told her slowly.

"Why? You would kiss _her_."

Takuto felt a sudden rush of panic inside of him. Meroko knew and for sure he would be kicked right off of their case.

Meroko was scared. She didn't know what to do next. Maybe Takuto really was crazy about Mitsuki, like she suspected. Or, he could have been doing the right thing that any Shinigami would have done. In the end, she was jealous of something she didn't have.

"Meroko, just because you're alone doesn't mean you can make everyone else the same way," he said as he flew off.

"Somebody has to know how it feels…" she hid her face under her hat and sat back down in her seat.


	2. Chapter 2

**salut et quoi de neuf (hi and what's new)! okay, here's chapter 2. in my opinion, it was shorter than planned, but it's not going to bug me if it is this length. i'll try to keep my attention focused on writing chapter 3 and put finishing up the beginnings of my other stories on hold for a while. _sigh, i need more time._**

**disclaimer: full moon wo sagashite and their songs are not mine, but all new songs mitsuki writes are mine**

_Now, a burning candle_

_Can't melt my shaking heart anymore?_

Since Mitsuki had been working later than they planned, she ate dinner at Ooshige-san's place. Meroko sat by Mitsuki in her bunny form and began to devoir everything she saw. Takuto, on the other hand, sat by Ooshige-san, and barely ate what was on his plate.

"Hmm, Takuto, are you not feeling well?" Mitsuki asked after she took a sip of water. "Even though you don't eat a lot, I would think that you would be hungry."

"I'm fine," he said and disappeared from Ooshige-san's sight, turning to his original form. "I'll get some rest when we get home."

"Oh, okay," said Mitsuki, noticing how much he was trying not to look at her.

"Mitsuki, be sure to keep working on memorizing those lyrics. You can use a lyric sheet for recording, but you will have a live performance the very next day, so make sure you are prepared," Ooshige-san reminded her.

"Yes, I'll try my best!" she exclaimed optimistically.

"By the way, after this song, we can go to America and you'll be a pretty well-known artist. Isn't that exciting?"

"Yep!"

Takuto grinned at her expression. It was so soft and pure while at the same time determined and competitive. He wondered how someone could contain all of those feelings and release them at the same time. She was like a ray of light, calmly bringing the morning to him.

"But, I would be lying if I said that I didn't have a little bit of help," Mitsuki admitted. "Takuto gave me the inspiration to find the words to go with these feelings inside of me."

Ooshige-san looked around the room, confused with where Takuto actually was. "Well, wherever he his, please thank him deeply for me."

"Yes, thank you Takuto," Mitsuki said warmly to him.

"It was nothing…" he replied, slowly floating up.

"Takuto, where are you going?" Meroko asked, wondering if he was acting strangely due to what had happened earlier.

"I'm going to observe the sky. Don't worry, I'll be down in time to go home."

"Jeez, he has been too weird lately. I think he needs to take a day off with me and relax," Meroko joked, absolutely sure that he would never in a million years want to do that.

Mitsuki picked Meroko up and hugged her. "That's perfect! You two should do that tomorrow while I go with my grandma to the school event."

"Seriously?" Meroko asked, not sure that Mitsuki heard the joking tone in her voice.

Mitsuki nodded and set Meroko down. "He needs to spend time with his Shinigami partner, right?"

Meroko considered Takuto's own feelings versus what he was supposed to do. Most Shinigami partners did have some free time on their hands and hung out with each other. Meroko forgot about all of the fun things they did together before they met Mitsuki.

"Ooshige-san, doesn't it make sense?" Mitsuki asked her manager.

"I'm not an expert on Shinigami, but yes, it does."

"Fine, I'll do it," Meroko agreed at last. She sincerely hoped that she wouldn't be damaging her friendship with Takuto by suddenly deciding to hang out with him.

"Great! Thank you very much Meroko!" Mitsuki said joyfully, helping Ooshige-san clear the table.

_Hold me tight, strong enough to break me_

_If we meet in a biting cold blizzard_

_I won't feel cold, and_

_I miss you every time I think of you_

_This scarf that I knit for you_

_I'm holding it alone tonight_

Takuto leaned against a tree at the park by Mitsuki's house, letting the cold air give him a small chill. "It's unusually warm today, huh?"

Meroko whined as the snowman with angel wings she was making started to fall apart. "Ugh, it's not sticking!" she complained. "Why won't my snow angel stay together?!"

Takuto floated up next to her. "That's because it's too warm out, dummy. Besides, aren't snow angels on the _ground_?"

"Not this one, cause it's _special_," Meroko explained, struggling with the wings. A couple of middle schools girls walked by and pointed at Meroko's snow angel, whispering with awe.

"Uh, Meroko…" Takuto started, noticing the girls.

"Hmm?" Meroko used some of her Shinigami magic to give her some ice cubes for a halo.

"You know that it's daylight outside, right?"

"Yes, Takuto, I know what _day_ it is outside," Meroko answered without even thinking about the question. She carefully placed the ice cubes on top of the snow angel's head.

Takuto smacked his forehead, and floated over to her. "No, Meroko, _this_ is what I'm trying to tell you!" He turned her head to see the girls, who were now taking pictures of the snow angel with their cell phone cameras.

Meroko gave a silent scream. "Oh no! They just witnessed a snow angel being build all by itself!"

_That's what I was thinking all along…_Takuto thought. "Come on, let's go somewhere else, maybe the movies?" He began to hover a bit higher.

"B-but my snow angel!" Meroko whimpered, not wanting to leave her hard work behind.

"We can show Mitsuki later," Takuto suggested as he held his hand out to her.

_Wait, didn't I do that earlier?_ Meroko remembered. "Uh, I guess…" she floated up and gently took Takuto's hand, surprised at how warm it was. The feeling made her shed a few tears, but she was able to convince Takuto that it was for the snow angel. _It's nice to be with someone…_

_If there were an eternally falling snow_

_This feeling I have for you, could I hide it?_

"You know what, today was actually kind of fun," Takuto said to Meroko as they returned home. The movie they watched was hilarious, but not as funny as Meroko's self-building snow angel, which they began to joke about after the movie was over.

"Yeah," Meroko agreed, sad that their day out was over. She looked over at Takuto, desperately hoping she wouldn't be ignored again.

"We'll have to do this again sometime, but maybe when it's springtime?" he asked, quickening his speed.

Meroko nodded wordlessly, knowing that he wanted to get home to Mitsuki. She sighed, disappointed at how jealous she was getting._ This is sad. Nothing's going on…or is there? _

"Meroko?" Takuto noticed her depressed attitude and slowed down. "You okay?" _What is going on with her? _He added in his mind

_What if I'm right? No, I'm wrong about this… _She kept her eyes, which were sparkling with reflected light from the streetlights on the sky. They were almost to Mitsuki's room, so she figured that she should say something in response. "Takuto, I…" Meroko found it hard to form her words.

He watched her struggle and realized that he had been in the same situation she was in. Being around someone you care about, who might be completely clueless about how you feel, wasn't an easy thing to do. There were so many things that couldn't be said, but wanted to get out.

"I don't know if I'm right!" she blurted out at last, wondering if their conversation would help or hurt her. They stopped outside of Mitsuki's room, and floated up higher so that she wouldn't see them.

"About…?" Takuto tried to get her to open up without her crying, but it was too late. Tears were already streaming down her face. At that moment, all he wanted to do was see Mitsuki's cheerful face, but at the same time, Meroko's tears had a hypnotizing tranquility.

"It's like saying all of the things I like to a mirror - they only bounce back to me. It's one-sided…and the pain is becoming too much," Meroko sobbed into her hands, and sat down on the roof. "It may seem sudden to you, but it aches holding everything in for so long."

Takuto took a seat next to Meroko, surprising her. "I get how you feel. I can't say that I love you back the same way, but I will notice it," He lifted her chin up and dried a few of her tears with his hand. _She looks so beautiful…_ "But," he continued, "Without a doubt, you know that letting a heart free leads them back to you, right?"

"Yes…" Meroko finally found some courage to look up at him.

He acknowledged her gaze and unexpectedly pulled her into an awkward embrace. Even though it felt strange, Meroko relaxed and enjoyed the fact that he was trying to make her feel better.

_Hold me tight if I think like this_

_I didn't want to know_

_What it was like to fall in love with someone_

_I love you; my chest fills up_

_I want to cry out to the winter sky_

_I want to see you now_

Mitsuki coughed quietly as Takuto entered her room, using the door, which he rarely did. The cold breeze clashed with the warm air of her room, and she felt a chill, noticing his return.

"Welcome home, Takuto!" she greeted him happily. "Is Meroko with you?"

"She's asleep in the other room," he answered, sitting down and taking a deep breath.

"Did you do a lot together?" she asked, wondering if Takuto actually had fun.

"Yeah, it was nice…" he replied, going over the day again in his mind. Overall, it wasn't as bad as some other times they went out. "Meroko built this beautiful snow angel in the park; you should see it tomorrow."

"I will, and I think I'll bring a camera too!" Mitsuki giggled, glad that they day went well.

"Have you worked on memorizing your song?" Takuto pointed over to her desk, the final copy in an organized binder.

"Yep, I read it five times, said it four times, and sang it twice."

"That's good. That way, you'll be ready for your busy schedule coming up," he added. Suddenly, Takuto remembered what was odd about the song. There was a weird silence while he was considering whether or not he was going to bring it up. When he heard Mitsuki hum the melody to herself, he made his decision.

Mitsuki stopped humming and took out her binder before he could get a word in. "I always have trouble with this part," she stated, showing him a line in the music. "I'll just have to practice more…"

"Mitsuki," Takuto started, looking her right in the eye. "How could we both be thinking about the same song in the same day?"

She sat down, carefully thinking over the question. "If we were thinking about the same song, why didn't you just say so?" she asked back while still in deep thought.

"It doesn't make sense, but I think the words somehow fit the different reasons. Your words are for your Eichi-kun, mine are for…" he trailed off before finishing his point.

Mitsuki looked up, wondering whom his words were intended for. "For who Takuto?"


	3. Chapter 3

**salut et quoi de neuf (hi and what's new)! i'm glad that i finished this chapter quickly and this fanfic has been really fun to write so far. i'm not sure if i'm having the plot move too quickly, so i'd really appreciate reviews/critique, etc. by the way, there's something interesting at the end, and i will somewhat explain why i decided to do that...anyways, enjoy Like Snow ch. 3!**

**disclaimer: full moon wo sagashite and their songs are not mine, but all new songs mitsuki writes are mine**

_Myself:_

_Why, oh why do I love you so much?_

_My tears overflow this much_

"For who Takuto?" Mitsuki asked, her words echoing throughout his body, making him feel somewhat scared. It was a good question - was it someone from his past or present?

Takuto didn't like keeping things from Mitsuki, but he currently couldn't decide exactly whom his feelings were for. "Look, I think it might be from my past," he half-lied. "Sorry, it was stupid for me to bring it up."

"No, it's fine," said Mitsuki, finding a pen from her desk. "I thought it would be interesting to see how we feel the same." She scribbled a small note on a page in her binder.

"What are you doing?" he asked, trying to read the writing over her shoulder.

"I want to remember to dedicate this song to you," she answered while drawing a smiley-face next to the note.

"Are you stupid?" he asked, taking a seat by her desk.

"I won't mention your name - just that a special friend has been guiding me through things lately."

Takuto thought over it for a moment. "Sounds good," he agreed while turning on Mitsuki's music box. The melody of _Eternal Snow _filled his heart with a familiar feeling he couldn't describe. Mitsuki stood up and set the binder away.

"Oh, Takuto, we have a small dance coming up at school," she told him, observing the snow that was starting to fall outside the window.

"And?"

"I'd like you to help me practice."

"No."

"Huh? Why not?" Mitsuki looked at Takuto, who stood up and walked over to the window.

"I just don't dance, isn't that enough for you?"

"Please, Takuto!" Mitsuki begged, turning the music box again, resuming the music. She hummed along to the tune again, and even though her voice was faint, it touched Takuto deeply.

Finally, Takuto gave in, but he had a good reason not to dance - he was just extremely bad at it. Mitsuki beamed as Takuto took her hand and began to slowly dance. He didn't move gracefully, and if he were not floating, Mitsuki's feet would have been stepped on over and over again. But she didn't care and keep humming, watching the snow gracefully pile up by her window.

"If I meet Eichi-kun again…" she started, her voice soft, "I hope it will be when it's snowing…" The music box stopped playing, but it didn't matter anymore - they continued to dance, the song resonating in their hearts. Mitsuki leaned her head on Takuto's shoulder and closed her eyes.

Takuto could feel her heart beating, and even though she was thinking about Eichi, he could tell that somewhere, deep down, she was thinking about him too. "I'm sure it will be," he promised, imaging the snow as falling stars. He looked up higher in the sky and saw the moon, shining gently. They danced until Mitsuki fell asleep in his arms and he carried her to her room. Meroko was already snoring on the pillow, and Takuto carefully moved her over to make room for Mitsuki. He laid her down and before he left, gave her a kiss on the forehead.

_Back in that time, there was so much to lose that I couldn't sing_

_Anything_

_A place just a little ways away - That was where I was_

"Bye, have a good day at school!" Meroko yelled over to Mitsuki as she left her house. Once Mitsuki was out of sight, she yawned and flew back to Mitsuki's room where Takuto was still asleep. They didn't know if he had been up late and since he was sleeping so peacefully, they left him alone. _Aw, he looks so cute when he's not angry with me…_

Takuto stirred a little bit as he felt sunlight tickle his nose. He turned over and stretched, but remained snoozing. Meroko was going to check the Shinigami handbook on the roof as soon as Mitsuki left, but she decided to watch Takuto. She couldn't remember the last time he had appeared so calm.

"I wonder what you were doing last night," Meroko whispered, scanning the room with her eyes, searching for a sign of what he might have been up to. She gave up after she noticed everything was in its place. Her attention was then turned to the fresh blanket of snow outside. _Maybe he was watching the snow? But when did Mitsuki fall asleep…? _Meroko gasped as her over reactive imagination began to work. _I bet they shared some kind of _special moment _together watching the snow last night! _Meroko thought, images of Takuto whispering tender words into Mitsuki's ear. She glanced at Takuto and considered waking him up at once - but something stopped her. She remembered how nice he had been to her yesterday, and that it wouldn't be fair to just abruptly wake him up when he probably didn't do anything wrong.

"Meroko…?" Takuto asked groggily, his blue-gray eyes gradually opening. He turned to see the time on the clock. Once he realized the time, he jumped into the air, panicking. "Crap, I overslept! Did Mitsuki get to school?" he slipped his backpack on and adjusted the wings getting ready to fly after her, but Meroko stopped him with her tranquil attitude.

"Don't worry, she's at school," she assured him. "I was going to check the Shinigami handbook, but I decided to wait until you woke up."

"I'm awake now," he said, flying to the bathroom to quickly splash his face with water. When he returned, he looked much more alert and he flew up to the roof, waiting for Meroko and the book. She followed him, taking one final glimpse of the snow. _Guess I'll never know what happened…_ she sighed.

"Here's the book," she declared, the book appearing with a poof. She opened to the page that listed possible threats to Mitsuki's life and was about to confirm that the page was blank, but a word became visible before she could speak. "Takuto!" she shouted with worry.

"Hmm? What is it?" he leaned over to see the book. "What?!" he said with shock vibrating between both of them. _How in the world?_

Right in the middle of the page in red ink was one name: **Mitsuki**.

"This can't be right," Meroko said in disbelief. "How can she be a threat to _herself_?" She flipped through the pages, wondering if the book was defective.

"Let me look at that!" Takuto snapped, swiping the book out of her hands. He studied it carefully and sure enough, everything else in the book was correct. "Damn it, this is crazy!" He threw the book down into the snow in frustration.

"Takuto!" Meroko quickly dove into the snow to retrieve the handbook. "Jeez, warn me when you're going to do that!" she shook the book to dry off the pages. "Look, all we can do is make sure she can't hurt herself. How hard can that be?"

_That day, deep in your eyes, I saw the loneliness_

_Are the two of us really alike?_

_If I'd realized it, you were always by my side_

"Ouch!" Mitsuki yelped in pain as she stubbed her toe on the desk. "Ow, ow, ow…" she limped over to a chair and sat down, rubbing her foot. _Maybe I should watch out for things like that…_

"Mitsuki-chan, did you hurt yourself?" a classmate of her's asked in concern. Several other classmates surrounded her desk, wondering if she was okay. Due to her health, the other kids in her class were always on the lookout to make sure she was safe.

"I-I'm fine. I just hit my toe…" Mitsuki answered, her face blushing with how embarrassing her injury was.

"Well, at least it's not life threatening." The classmates sighed with relief.

"Thank you for being concerned about me," Mitsuki stood up and walked around, the pain from her foot slowly fading away. She stopped when her foot finished aching.

"Oh, Mitsuki, are you going to _Full Moon's _concert on Friday?" one of Mitsuki's friends asked while beginning to braid her hair.

_That's right! I have to record tomorrow, _Mitsuki remembered. "Yes, I plan on going."

"Great! Are we going to meet you there?" another one of her friends collected her papers and joined them. "Maybe we can get a picture with _Full Moon_!"

"Sorry, I'm going to be backstage because I know _Full Moon_. I'll be sure to request a picture with you," she apologized, wishing with all of her heart that she could hang out with them. Unfortunately, _Full Moon_ didn't exist without her and she would always be performing to her friends instead of listening with them.

"Lucky! I wish I knew her! By the way, how _do _you know her?" her friend completed the braid she was working on with a bright pink ribbon and started another.

Mitsuki hesitated, not sure how to answer. "Well…I…"

"She's probably just a family friend, right?" her friend replied for her. "I can't wait to hear her new song on the radio tomorrow too!"

"Really? Mitsuki, do you know the name of it?"

"Yes," she nodded with confidence in her response. "It's _Angel In My Heart_." Mitsuki smiled as her friends started to talk with excitement about her new song. _Perhaps it is better this way…_ she considered, looking back on what a great affect _Full Moon _had on her life.

_Why do I love you so much?_

_Your voice rings inside me so much it makes me sad_

_Just what it was that supported me so much_

_From afar, I realize it now_

"Wow, this is awesome!" Mitsuki complemented Meroko's snow angel before she took a picture. "You must have worked very hard on it!"

"Well, it did take a while to fix the wings…" Meroko admitted, blushing. Finally, she was being acknowledged for something she put her own time and effort into. Even Takuto was proud of her.

Takuto stayed close to Mitsuki, ready to catch her if she fell or block her way if she was going to walk into a tree. While she wasn't always clumsy, there were times when her happiness clouded her common sense. Mitsuki turned around and bumped into him, almost falling backwards, but luckily, Meroko caught her before she hit her head.

"Thank you, Meroko. Sorry, I didn't see Takuto there," Mitsuki tucked her camera in her pocket to prevent it from getting broken.

"Are you tired, Mitsuki?" Meroko asked, noticing Mitsuki yawning. "We should get home so you are rested enough for the recording session."

Mitsuki nodded in agreement. "Sure." She gripped her backpack tighter after a stronger breezed passed by her.

Meroko gave Takuto a look of concern. _I wonder if the threat is Mitsuki or her health? _She wondered while following Mitsuki carefully. Takuto was probably just as worried as she was and he did the same. She could tell that he was one hundred percent focused on keeping her alive until her time was up. Meroko guessed that he would do anything - even risk his job to save her.

No one spoke for fifteen minutes due to Meroko and Takuto being lost in their thoughts. Finally, Mitsuki decided to share her day at school with them.

"Guess what?" Mitsuki asked, trying give off an optimistic vibe to cheer them up. "Everyone is excited about _Full Moon's _next song!" She paused and waited for a supportive response, but heard nothing. "Uh, Meroko? Takuto?" she turned around and the stopped suddenly. _What is up with them?_

"Sorry, Mitsuki," Takuto apologized. He nudged Meroko with his elbow.

"Ow! Uh, I'm sorry too," said Meroko, glaring at Takuto. "You could've warned me first!" she whispered to him.

"Is something wrong? Did I do something?" Mitsuki asked, looking both of them in the eye. A boy probably a year older than her walked by and laughed at Mitsuki talking to herself.

"What are you, an actress?" He asked while expressing amusement.

"Huh?" Mitsuki blinked, somewhat confused.

"Well, you had such a serious expression for being such a cute little girl," he explained. "Maybe you'll be a big star someday." He walked off and left Mitsuki to rethink over his words.

Embarrassed, she stayed silent for a moment.

"Don't listen to him," Takuto said at last. "He doesn't know what he's saying." _How in the world can she take people's words so seriously? _He thought, sensing that she was probably nervous at being called cute.

"Yeah," Meroko added, "that dummy can't see Shinigami, so who does he think he is…but at least he said you were cute!" Takuto shot her a look telling her that she said the wrong think. "B-but that's a good thing, right?" she added, trying to cover up her mistake.

"I guess…" Mitsuki replied distantly, her mind floating back to memories of Eichi.

Takuto rolled his eyes and grabbed both Meroko and Mitsuki by the hand, dragging them off to Mitsuki's house. "Come on, what do you think Mitsuki's grandma would say if she got home too late?"

"You're right," Mitsuki said, not exactly listening to him. "I hope my song reaches him…"

Meroko and Takuto sighed in unison. Protecting Mitsuki was going to be harder than they thought.

_Like a lost child, crying and searching_

_But there was no such thing as forever_

Sakurai Eichi gazed up at the stars while on the ski lift at night. Night skiing was his new favorite thing to do - he could be around the snow that glittered as the light reflected off of it and the stars that twinkled brightly in the sky. It was both peaceful and full of excitement at the same time. Even though things he loved surrounded him, there was someone missing. He missed his bright moon back in Japan, and wanted to see her more than any other beautiful thing in the world.

"Oh, Eichi," a new friend of his, Amy, interrupted his thoughts, but gently. "I've been looking for some new Japanese singers online."

"And?" he asked nervously, eager to hear if someone he knew was a singing superstar.

"I couldn't find any info on your friend Mitsuki, but there is this _Full Moon_ who has been extremely popular lately. If you ask me, I think her songs sound like they're for you," she answered, her voice hopeful that her conclusion was correct.

"_Full Moon_?" he repeated, wondering why her songs would be for him. "I've never met anyone with that name before."

"True, but that's her stage name," Amy added. "There's an online concert we can watch tomorrow, and you'll see what I mean…"

_Mitsuki, _Eichi thought while returning his attention to the moon glowing luminously. _I hope you are reaching your dream…_

**yes...eichi is alive. why you might ask? cause i need him for something else, and that's all i'm going to say for right now (and it's a secret!). also, i couldn't remember mitsuki's friends' names (sorry). thank you for taking the time to read my story. **


	4. Chapter 4

**salut et quoi de neuf (hi and what's new)! i kind of took a break to begin some other fanfics sitting around in my head, and wrote this is two days (yesterday and today). feedback is greatly appreciated because i would like to know if the plot is going well. i might work on getting ch. 5 up in a few days (if i have time). merci, and enjoy Like Snow ch. 4!**

**disclaimer: full moon wo sagashite and their songs are not mine, but all new songs mitsuki writes are mine**

"_It's okay if you don't believe in anyone" you whispered_

_Were the two of us really alike?_

_And I decided then I would protect you_

"Meroko…could you get me more coffee?" Takuto asked groggily, waiting outside of Mitsuki's changing room. Slowly, but surely, he was catching small winks of sleep. Today was the day of her concert, and they had kept her safe during her recording session - but they were clearly exhausted.

"Sure," Meroko said, chugging down the rest of her coffee, then flying off to get more for him. "Ugh, this was _not_ in the job description…" she groaned as the overload of caffeine made her head pound. Unfortunately, when she reached the coffee pot, Ooshige-san was taking her sweet time preparing her coffee. "This keeps getting worse and worse…"

"Takuto? You look sick…maybe you should go home?" Mitsuki asked as she came out of the changing room, interrupting his mini-nap.

His eyes opened, and as his blurry vision cleared, he stared in amazement at her. She was dressed in a white dress - almost a bridal gown - with petite ribbons tied delicately in her cascading blond hair. Someday, when all of this was over, he wanted to see her again like that. He closed his eyes to catch one more second of rest, and then woke up, drowsily floating up from his chair.

"Takuto?" she repeated, worry for him shining in her eyes. Something had been making him and Meroko act a little strange lately, and she had no clue what it was.

"I'm good…" he answered, trying hard to remind himself that his duty was to protect her, and that falling in love with her was not possible. Recently, he had been feeling like they were meant to be together, but pushed the thought aside, worried that he would be putting her in danger.

"Takuto, here's your…coffee," Meroko handed over the warm plastic cup of coffee and slumped into a chair, completely drained of all of her energy.

"Will she be alright?" Mitsuki wondered, watching Meroko snooze peacefully.

Takuto peeked over at Meroko, and decided that she would be better off catching up on sleep than struggling to follow them. "Eh, probably," he shrugged, and went along with Mitsuki to make their way to the stage.

"Okay, Mitsuki, you've got five minutes until you're on stage. Are you ready?" Ooshige-san asked her with excitement as they waited backstage. Takuto was trying his absolute hardest to stay awake and alert, but he could feel the world slowly but surely becoming fuzzy.

"Yep, and I'm sure it will be a great show!" Mitsuki replied with her usual grin. She hoped that somehow Eichi would be watching her concert, and realize that she was singing to him. If he didn't, her trip to America was coming up soon, and she would get another chance to tell him.

"Hey," Takuto interrupted her thoughts suddenly. He was leaning against the wall and seemed like he might pass out at any moment. "Focus out there…and make sure you watch where you're going…"

"Um, yes, I will," she promised, wondering why he would make such a strange request. Then again, the high-heels she was wearing were a bit hard to keep balance on. Ooshige-san looked up in surprise, but then remembered that Mitsuki was probably talking with the Shinigami.

"Oh, Mitsuki," Ooshige-san added, pulling out a note she was given earlier. "Please don't forget to thank everyone at the studio, and be sure to say that your new CD comes out Monday."

She nodded, her attention still on Takuto, who was gradually getting sleepier. His head seemed to be drooping one centimeter every second. She walked over to him and helped him to a chair. Once again, Ooshige-san had no idea what was going on, but ignored it anyways.

"Mitsuki…" he tried to argue weakly, but she put a finger to his lips.

"Shh, you need your rest," she told him gently, and it appeared to him that everything would be fine. Too exhausted to protest, he gave in, and let the sleep take over him. "I wish I knew what was up with them…" Mitsuki said quietly while walking back over to Ooshige-san. _If they are so worried about me, why won't they let me help? _

"Alright, Mitsuki, you're ready?" Ooshige-san asked one more time.

"Yes…" she answered as she felt the roar of all of her fans pulsing through her.

_Why can't I turn them to memories?_

_You're too far, too near for me to reach_

_The more I tell myself "I will forget"_

_The larger you loom in my thoughts_

A common rush of energy flowed through her as she stood on stage, only her silhouette visible to the audience. She breathed deeply and felt her pulse racing. The excitement almost made her lose focus, but she remembered Takuto's words. "It's time to do this…"

As soon as Meroko opened her eyes, she knew she was in trouble. "Ah, Mitsuki!" she exclaimed in panic as she popped out of her chair. She looked back and forth, not sure of Mitsuki's location at all.

A member of the stage crew walked by and took a glance at the clock. "Guess I should catch some of _Full Moon_'s performance during my break," he said to himself, instantly telling Meroko that she was onstage.

Knowing that she wouldn't have much time until Mitsuki was truly in danger, Meroko took off as fast as she could, sending a gust of air into the crew worker's face. There was no time to worry about why he suddenly felt a draft in the middle of a hallway with no windows. Even if Takuto was with her, it would take _two_ Shinigami to be a hundred percent sure she would stay alive.

Mitsuki said exactly what Ooshige-san instructed her to, and the crowd couldn't wait to hear her sing. Once the mini thank-you speech was over, the background music began to play, and the familiar feeling in her heart with the hopes of Eichi hearing her music filled her heart. _I know he hears me! _She thought with excitement as her part of the music to sing was inching closer. The lights were shining brighter, and she took one final deep breath. She began to sing, unafraid of exposing how she felt to the world.

"_I feel you in me_

_I don't know where, but I feel you_

_The cold comes over me_

_But you are warming my heart..."_

Mitsuki smiled, feeling the energy of the crowd and how much they enjoyed her song so far. She let the pure joy of performing shine in her attitude and continued to sing.

"_Why do you have_

_Such a strong effect on me?_

_How do you do it so easily?_

_Someday I'll be_

_Closer to my dreams_

_And then you'll see_

_What you have done for me…"_

Everything seemed to be going fine for her performance so far, and Mitsuki decided to move around the stage as she sang. Her skin glowed with the beam of the lights, and she could tell that her fans were having an incredible time. The performance was about to be perfect.

"_You have saved me_

_Even though I can't see you now_

_I feel the shadow covering me_

_But the light of you is still shining-"_

Suddenly, something went wrong - Mitsuki didn't know what it was, but she knew that it was not good. When she moved to the side, she got her high-heeled shoe stuck in part of her dress - and now she was falling. She felt everything go dark, but for some strange reason, she didn't feel the impact of hitting the hard, cold, concert hall floor.

_Why do I love you so much?_

_Your voice rings (inside me) so much it makes me sad_

_Just what it was that supported me so much_

_I realize it now from afar_

He knew that she was going to fall. It was inevitable that she would. So carefree and blinded by the high of performing, he found it amusing how she wouldn't watch her step. This whole event was one big television show to him and he was just watching - until he saw her fall. Even though he typically didn't care, he felt the alarm in his heart, and without thinking, flew in to save her.

"Izumi?!" Meroko yelled in amazement. Although she tried as hard as she could to arrive in time, she was still too late. Instead, _he_ saved her - or was he trying to hurt her? "Put her down, now!" she flew over to him, ready to take her by force if she had to.

"Fine, I will…" he replied calmly, gently placing Mitsuki's sixteen-year-old body back on stage. He ignored the surprised whispers of the audience, and watched her peacefully unconscious expression. _What in the world? _He asked himself, snapping the thought out of his head.

"What were you doing?" Meroko asked suspiciously, kneeling down to Mitsuki.

"The silly girl tripped over her own dress. Don't blame me," he answered, backing away from her. "Besides, why am I doing _Takuto's_ job?" he riddled back in a teasing voice.

"Takuto!" Meroko looked around, worried about where he was. She wanted to search for him, but she was afraid to leave Mitsuki alone with Izumi again.

"Don't worry…" Izumi laughed, entertained by her concern showing plainly on her face. "He's asleep backstage."

_Asleep? _Meroko was shocked that Takuto would give in to his exhaustion. Then again, she was guilty of it as well.

"Honestly," he continued, coming closer to Meroko, "do you two even know how to do your job _correctly_?" he hovered about an inch away from her face, and gave her an intense look, wondering if she would see how he felt. Instead, she pushed him away, disgusted at how he was insulting her.

"Mitsuki!" Ooshige-san ran out onto the stage, unsure of what had happened. "Mitsuki?"

"Huh? She's unconscious…but shouldn't she be waking up?" Meroko leaned closer to Mitsuki to sense a heartbeat. She found a pulse, but Mitsuki seemed to be having trouble breathing. Immediately, she turned into a rabbit, so that Ooshige-san could see her. "Ooshige-san! Mitsuki's alive, but she's having trouble breathing. We need to get her to the hospital, now!"

_Why do I love you so much?_

_It's so easy, I just can't answer_

Before Mitsuki fell unconscious, she saw one person and knew she was safe. She thought it was maybe Takuto, but it wasn't.

"_Just like a guardian angel_

_Always with me_

_You mean too much_

_For me to forget you_

_My angel in my heart…"_

The last part of the song rang throughout her body and as she felt her eyes close, the blurry but definite image of Izumi was in her mind. Worn out and confused, she allowed herself to slip into darkness because she knew she would be safe in his arms for that moment.

"Damn it!" Takuto pounded his fist on the wall outside of Mitsuki's hospital room. "How the hell could I fall asleep?!" he was clearly ticked off, and it made matters even worse that _Izumi_ was the one who saved her. "What does he want anyways?" still furious, he sat down, but decided to save his anger for beating up Izumi.

"No clue," Meroko sat next to him, her attitude quiet and serious. If she had gotten there sooner, they would have been fine. She opened up the Shinigami handbook and was relieved to see that Mitsuki's name was off the list. "But I don't know if we'll be this lucky next time…"

Takuto thought over her words while he let his frustration simmer in the back of his mind. He got up suddenly, startling Meroko and went into Mitsuki's room.

"Takuto, wait for me!" Meroko floated after him, not exactly surprised that he didn't warn her.

Mitsuki was sleeping tranquilly in her hospital bed, her breathing regular now. Fortunately, her throat didn't act up, and all that was left was for her to wake up.

"Takuto…" Meroko whispered in a faint voice, her attention drawn to a light snow that would probably only last a minute. "She told you to get some rest, didn't she?"

He froze, desperately searching his memory for what happened before she went on stage. The image of him being guided to the chair where he rested briefly came back to him, and he kept his eyes on the floor, ashamed. "I shouldn't have listened to her…" he slumped into the chair next to her bed. _Please wake up, _he wished, placing his hand softly on her's. _I don't care whose fault it is - I just want to see your bright face right now…_

A calm smile spread across Meroko's lips and she admired the way the snow twinkled when it caught the light. "Even if I've lost, maybe I've won…" she said to herself, her breath causing part of the window to fog up. Some days, it felt like Takuto was in love with her - others, she knew that him and Mitsuki were meant to be together. She only hoped that she would find whom she was meant to be with.

The room was serenely quiet. Still trying to catch up on missed sleep, Meroko and Takuto were snoozing peacefully in her room. Izumi snuck in, careful not to wake them up. Maybe while they were taking their naps he could get his job done. He paused by Meroko, and felt her slow breath on his fingertips as he brushed a strand of her long pink hair away from her face. _I guess I do miss watching her sleep…_

"Izumi?" a dazed voice asked from behind him. Mitsuki was sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes. "What happened…why are you here?" she scanned the hospital room and found Takuto and Meroko completely asleep. "Takuto-" she was about to yell, frightened about her situation, but Izumi put a hand over her mouth.

He sighed, disappointed that he couldn't continue his plan. "I'm not here for _that_ reason. I guess you still get to live…for now." He took his hand off of her mouth when he noticed the fear disappear from her eyes.

"Why…did you save me?" she asked curiously, rethinking everything she knew about him. _Last time I saw or heard of him, I learned that he wants me to die…this doesn't make sense, _Mitsuki remembered.

_That's right, why did I?_ Izumi questioned himself, trying to find a reason why he acted without thinking.

**hmm...i think i'll start writing here too. this is my random babble, so feel free to skip it. anyways, i'm pleased with how this chapter turned out and i like how it fits in with the song (i actually did that on accident!). désolé if there are any typos or grammar mistakes (with school, you don't get a lot of time to write). a bientôt et au revoir (see you soon and good-bye)! **


	5. Chapter 5

**salut et quoi de neuf (hi and what's new)! désolé, i think i wrote ch. 4 a little weird (i had double spaces that wouldn't show up). this chapter is really interesting and maybe a little short (in my opinion), but the real excitement will be in ch. 6! also, merci beaucoup to everyone who favorited/alerted this story. read, review and enjoy Like Snow ch. 5, s'il vous plait.**

**disclaimer: i do not own full moon wo sagashite or ipod, but all new songs mitsuki writes are mine**

_Smile:_

_If the sky was crying for you_

_I'll turn into a sea and embrace it_

_Even if we're swallowed by the storm and lose our map_

_Your back is the signpost for me now_

"Why do I have to answer you?" he shot back, certain his question would distract her. He watched as she paused and recalled what had happened before she blacked out.

"Well, I'm sure Takuto and Meroko would want to know," she whispered, her attention focused on the two snoozing Shinigami. "You care about Meroko, right?"

Izumi was baffled. _Why in the world are her questions leaving me speechless…and how does she know these things?_ "Why is this any of your business?" he reversed a question to her again, wondering if their entire conversation was going to be full of interrogations.

Mitsuki fluffed her pillow, a bright expression on her face. "I saw you watching Meroko sleep…it was kind of cute! Anyways, are you only going to speak in questions?" she giggled, enjoying her little chat with Izumi. _He's not that scary anymore - actually, he's rather funny!_

"Maybe," Izumi mumbled, and turned away from Mitsuki. _Well, this sucks. I can't finish my job, she's only going to probe deeper and deeper into my life - _he froze at the thought. _Wait a minute, why am I _letting _her ask me these questions?_ "I don't have time for this," he said as he began to take off.

"Wait!" Mitsuki called softly, hoping not to disturb Takuto and Meroko. "Thank you, Izumi," she reached into the pocket of the clothes next to her. "Meroko and I made this a while ago…she told me to give it to someone I like. I've only talked to you for a few minutes, but I like you Izumi - you're a good person." She carefully handed him a gold-chain bracelet with a bead in the shape of a moon. "I thought it fit your costume too!"

He took the gift without a word and gazed at Meroko, estimating that he would wake up soon. Her eyelids fluttered softly as she dipped in and out of consciousness. "Hmm…guess I better leave. Maybe I'll catch you around, Miki." He stood on the windowsill of her room and launched himself into the sky.

"Good-bye!" she waved cheerfully as Takuto and Meroko woke up. "Oh, and good morning, you two!"

"Your joyfulness is blinding me like the sun…" Meroko said blearily. "And what was with your 'good-bye'?"

Flustered, Mitsuki blushed, knowing that she could not tell them that Izumi was there. If they found out, Takuto would probably try to hunt him down and Meroko…she wasn't too sure of what Meroko would do.

"Yeah, who was here?" Takuto asked, sensing that the room was somewhat different. "Why is that window open in the middle of winter?"

"Uh…it was a little too warm in here," Mitsuki lied, moving to the window to close it. "But it's the perfect temperature now!" She saw their suspicious glances, but didn't care. If there were things that they wouldn't tell her, she was sure that she could keep a few secrets of her own as well.

_Like the moon and sun, even when near or far_

_Please be close enough to capture my light_

"This…is…boring…" Mitsuki admitted at last, waiting in her seat at the airport. Their plane had been delayed, due to the weather, and she had run out of things to do.

"But it still is exciting, right?" Meroko tried to cheer her up. It had been a week after the incident at the concert, but they were still going to America. "And we can find _Eichi_," she added, saying his name as if he were some kind of bribe - like a piece of meat to a dog.

"I guess," Mitsuki answered, pulling out a notebook she used for writing songs. She clicked a pen that she dug out of her bag and tapped the paper softly. "I find the lie that got me out of the house interesting though…" she said, remembering that Ooshige-san told her grandmother that they were going to a nice Japanese fan collector convention in America. It sounded convincing enough, and her grandmother let her go without suspecting a thing.

"Ooh, Takuto's back!" Meroko announced with excitement. His arms were filled with snacks and Ooshige-san was close behind him with food as well.

"Oh, Mitsuki, I checked your fan email online by the café, and I found something interesting - one email was from Eichi in America, and I'm sure it's him!" she dropped the food onto the seat next to Mitsuki and gave her a printed copy of the email.

Mitsuki read it, her heart swelling with excitement and jumped up in her seat. "Wow, thank you Ooshige-san!"

"Actually," Ooshige-san corrected Mitsuki, "Takuto doubled checked it to make sure it was him…" Takuto was talking to Meroko, but his attitude wasn't the same. It was as if he was suddenly less excited about the trip.

"Takuto," Mitsuki started, sitting next to him and interrupting their conversation. "Thank you." She leaned over and gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek to express her gratitude. His face got red and Mitsuki could hear a "no problem" escape from his flustered lips.

Meroko's mouth hung open, shocked at what had just happened. _Great, now I know I've lost._ She looked away from them, almost about to cry. Once again, she would be left out - and right when they were starting to feel like a warm group of three again.

"Ah, it looks like our flight might take off in half-an-hour," Ooshige-san said brightly, noticing the time on one of the monitors around the waiting area change. "We're getting closer and closer!"

"I can't wait to see him…" Mitsuki whispered to herself, hugging the notebook tightly. Suddenly, inspiration hit her, and she began to scribble down her feelings onto the paper, knowing that this time, the song would be meant for only him.

_Smile smile_

_Watch me always, watch me forever whenever_

_Smile smile_

_Want to believe, want to feel it forever_

_Smile smile_

_Being able to understand happy mornings and sad nights_

_I won't forget to smile_

_I cannot live without you forever_

Eichi downloaded the final song to his ipod, and ran downstairs to meet his family for dinner. Ever since he had watched the concert with Amy, he knew that _Full Moon_ was Mitsuki. Age wise, it wasn't possible, but he felt something magical that revealed to him that it was Mitsuki. While watching the most recent concert where _Full Moon_ fell off stage was strange, he knew that someone was watching over her - like a guardian angel.

After dinner, Eichi changed into his winter gear and was picked up by Amy's parents to drive to the meeting of their Ski Club.

"So, did you download _Angel In My Heart_?" Amy asked, clicking the power button to her mp3 player.

"Yeah," Eichi answered, pulling his ipod out of his jacket. "I've got this cool headphone system that I can plug my ipod in while I ski - but I can't have the volume up too loud. My parents think it's a hazard."

"At least you can still listen to her, right?" Amy added optimistically as the ski slopes came into sight from their car window. Eichi smiled because he was lucky to have Amy as a friend. Some days he thought he was selfish - Amy seemed to be a substitute for Mitsuki. But others, he knew that the two were different.

"Didn't you mention that she's coming here for a concert in two days?" he asked, switching on his ipod and preparing the headphones through his helmet.

"Yep, and I ordered tickets in advance, just as an early Ski Club president gift…" she hinted calmly, waiting for his reaction to the news.

"Wait, I was elected Ski Club president?!" his excitement grew and he knew that this week would be absolutely perfect. "I wonder how Mitsuki will react to the news…"

_N and S, like magnets, when we notice someday_

_We'll be pulled together as if that was ordinary_

_Like that secret, unstopping clock that no one knows_

_The two continues to move on the same face_

Mitsuki rubbed her eyes after she climbed out of the car. She was finally in America. It was early in the morning, but the sky was still dark. The stars were visible in the sky, but a layer of clouds hid some, giving the illusion that only a few stars wanted to greet her.

"Good, you finally woke up," Meroko said as she hopped out of the car. "You were out cold on the plane, and Takuto and I had to make it look like you were sleep walking until we got to the rental car."

"Thank you," Mitsuki said, her expression still groggy. Takuto and Meroko guided her to the hotel so that she could get a few more hours of sleep before the rehearsal of the live concert that would be televised all around America.

They set her down on her bed and Meroko slept on the couch in her bunny form. Takuto stayed up and Mitsuki's notebook, which was sticking out of her backpack, caught his attention. He floated over to it, but doubted if he should open it. _It's probably like a diary - if I read it, she'll kill me…wait, she can't seriously kill me…but…_ he struggled to come up with the correct solution in his head. A sudden but faint snore from Mitsuki confirmed that she was asleep, and Takuto slowly pulled the notebook out, knowing that she would never find out. He opened it cautiously, flipping through pages of doodles, scribbles, and short poems - all of them meant for Eichi. Before he could close the notebook, two things caught his attention - the last song she wrote about Eichi and the last note at the bottom. He read part of the song aloud to himself softly and glanced at Mitsuki, wondering how often she had felt that way.

"_Every night I sit down_

_With my hopes revolving around you_

_It might be childish_

_To have such a crush_

_But my little prayer means so much…"_

"I can't do this," he whispered, watching Mitsuki in her peaceful slumber. "How can I be this jealous of her loving someone so much?" He continued to the next part, and felt even worse about his selfish thoughts.

"_And my little prayer_

_I hope it reaches the stars_

_But if it gets to you_

_That's a start…"_

He finished scanning through the rest of the lyrics and remembered his promise about it snowing when she met Eichi again. The snow in America seemed to be falling slower than in Japan, and Takuto felt a small chill in his heart. He read over the note at the bottom of the page and wondered how he would deal with his broken heart. It read: _write a song about how much I love Takuto_…

**_random babble..._ originally, i based this story off of a chunk of anime to see if i could improvise. now, i'm reading the manga, and i've got to say, it is 100 times better! it actually gave me inspiration to write some parts of the story. if anyone sees any typos or grammar bugs, please tell me (even though i read over my story before i put it up, i feel like i miss things). a bientôt et au revoir (see you soon and good-bye)!**


	6. Chapter 6

**salut et quoi de neuf (hi and what's new)! here's ch. 6, and i feel bad that i didn't write much about Meroko in this chapter...oh well. hmm, i like this chapter, but i think ch. 4 and 5 are tied for my favorite. anyways, i'll be working back and forth between this story and All The Wrong Notes, so i'll try to finish this one first (désolé, it's somewhat close to the end). merci beaucoup to everyone who favorited/alerted this story. read, review, and enjoy Like Snow ch. 6, s'il vous plait.**

**disclaimer: i do not own full moon wo sagashite, but all new songs mitsuki writes are mine**

_I dream about your long hand_

_The small hand overlaps to deepen the love_

_Wow, I can't believe that this is Eichi's school!_ Mitsuki gazed in excitement up at the large building, amazed at how wonderful it appeared.

"It's impressive, isn't it?" Meroko asked as they waited by the school gates. After the rehearsal, they had tracked down where they believed Eichi attended school. Takuto wasn't with them - he said that he had something important to do - so it was just Mitsuki, Meroko, and Ooshige-san. "I like America - there are so many unique things here!" She pulled out a digital camera and began photographing just about anything in front of the lens.

"Yes," Mitsuki agreed with a hopeful sparkle in her eyes. The bell rang to dismiss the students, and she eagerly scanned through the students, trying as hard as she could to locate him. "Meroko, could you fly over there and look for him?"

"Uh, of course…but I don't know what he looks like," Meroko said, about to take off.

"Wait! Here's a picture of him; it's a bit old, but it will still work." Mitsuki cautiously gave Meroko one of her very few pictures of Eichi. At first, she was afraid that she was about to lose a piece of him, but then she realized that if Meroko found him, she would have many new photos with him after they were together again.

"Mitsuki," Ooshige-san started, somewhat nervous about the large number of students. "Are you sure we'll be able to find him here?"

"He has to be here…" she replied, watching the endless sea of people pass by her in a blur. They were all different, and it seemed like it would be difficult to find him. Once all of the kids had left, she peeked back inside the gates, praying that he would be coming. Meroko came back to tell her that her search was unsuccessful, and the look on Mitsuki's face almost made Meroko burst into tears.

"I'm…sorry, Mitsuki. I tried…" Meroko's voice was shaking, and she felt like she had failed Mitsuki.

"No, it's okay. We'll just have to look for him again tomorrow," Mitsuki wiped her watering eyes with a tissue, and followed Ooshige-san to the car. _But will I find him tomorrow either? _She added in her head, the doubtful thoughts beginning to settle in.

"Wait! Mitsuki-chan? Are you Mitsuki-chan?"

Mitsuki spun around, finding a girl with honey-blonde hair calling to her in what little Japanese she knew. "Who…are…you?" she asked carefully in English, not entirely sure that she was pronouncing the words correctly.

"Mitsuki, I know Eichi," she told her kindly. Mitsuki immediately felt her mood lift once Eichi's name was mentioned. "I'm Amy, Eichi's friend. He's told me about you."

"Where…is he?" Mitsuki continued to struggle with the English, but Amy nodded, signaling that she understood the question.

"He's at ski club."

"Ski club?" Mitsuki had heard of skiing before and thought that it was something related to astronomy.

"Mitsuki, are we going somewhere else to look for him?" Ooshige-san asked, walking around to the other side of the car.

"Can you take me there?"

"Sure, Mitsuki-chan. I can give you directions!" Amy cheerfully smiled at Mitsuki and they climbed into the car.

"Thank you very much!" Mitsuki was relieved. Finally, meeting Eichi was a reality - only a little while away. She gazed out the window and found that it wasn't snowing. _I hope Takuto was right, _she thought as Ooshige-san began drive to the ski slopes.

_Smile smile_

_Watch me always, watch me forever whenever_

_Smile smile_

_Want to believe, want to feel it forever_

_Smile smile_

_Being able to understand happy mornings and sad nights_

_I won't forget to smile _

_I cannot live without you forever_

"Why aren't things making any damn sense?" Takuto questioned the sky as he stood on top of a ski lift pole. The air was fresh and clear, and a few skiers had been zooming down the runs with the bright sun gradually melting the snow. _It's strange - I don't even know _how_ to ski, and yet I'm here._ A snowboarder right below him hit a jump with the wrong timing and landed with a face full of snow. _Oh well, at least it's funny_, he thought as he laughed at the snowboarder's surprised expression.

"Boo…" Izumi said behind Takuto, making him jump even higher into the air. "Hmm, so he _is _a fraidy-cat…interesting." Izumi took the post that Takuto was on, gracefully landing on one foot.

"What the hell are you here for?" Takuto interrogated him, still floating by the ski lift. "If you want Mitsuki's life, forget it-"

"Nope, I'm not here for that," Izumi interrupted simply, and observed the skiers and the slick snow, which was proving to be a larger problem as the sun became hotter.

"Then, what are you doing bothering me?" Takuto asked, distracted by a flash of sunlight reflecting off of a gold chain bracelet on Izumi's left arm. "Where'd you get that?" he added suspiciously.

"This," Izumi lifted his arm up and pointed to the bracelet, "is none of your business. As for why I'm bothering you, I need to pass the time." He smirked as he watched Takuto's attitude growing annoyed. _He'll never know…it'll be our little secret._

"Until when?"

"Exactly 9:00, and then you will be left alone until the next time we meet."

"Fine," Takuto gave up talking to Izumi - some days it was just too exhausting. Unfortunately, Izumi wasn't done with him yet.

"Hey, why aren't you with them?" He watched Takuto's reaction out of the corner of his eye.

"That's for _me_ to know and for _you_ go away and come back a thousand years later when _you_ find out," Takuto answered, hoping that his long answer would shut Izumi up. Once again, it did not work.

"I bet you came here to work on a way to confess your love to Miki," he teased in a singsong voice that made Takuto shudder.

"No, I'm not." Takuto's voice was calm and distant, thinking about what he had read in Mitsuki's notebook last night. _I can't see her today…she wanted to see him so much, and I would be a horrible person if I ruined their reunion…_

"You want to know who I'm going to retrieve?" Izumi's question was suddenly random.

"I don't care," Takuto replied, ready to fly off to a new peaceful place.

"Oh, I think you should," Izumi implied in a smooth voice. "_Miki_ would most likely want you to find out."

Takuto tightened his fists, absolutely loathing Izumi's tricky attitude. "Don't follow me!" he ordered as he heatedly took-off from the pole.

"I won't," Izumi said to himself, plainly amused. "But you'll be in for a _very_ pleasant surprise tonight."

_Smile smile_

_Watch me always, watch me forever whenever_

_Smile smile_

_Want to believe, want to feel it forever_

_Smile smile_

_Being able to understand happy mornings and sad nights_

_I won't forget to smile _

_I cannot live without you forever_

"You seem awfully quiet - but I bet that you're a sweet person, just like Eichi has told me." Amy smiled warmly, making Mitsuki feel a little jealous.

_What if he loves her? Can I really destroy that? _The questions began to pile up in Mitsuki's brain as she studied Amy. Her bright blue eyes twinkled from the sun's light, and she seemed like an angel - graceful and delicate. Mitsuki examined her own appearance in the driver's mirror. Her hair was the typical brown and her eyes were a dim gray - the light only making them seem dull silver. She guessed that they were dating after comparing how they looked one more time. Once again, she could feel the tears longing to trickle down her cheeks - but as long as Amy was in the car, Mitsuki tried her hardest to hold them back. Meroko, who was napping as a bunny in her arms, helped her control her emotions.

"Ah, Mitsuki," Amy said after pointing out a turn to Ooshige-san. "Have you heard of an artist named _Full Moon_?"

"Yes!" Excitement of her stage name being mentioned, Mitsuki's attitude brightened, almost forgetting all of the depressing thoughts she had before. "She's extremely popular in Japan!"

"Eichi and I have been listening to her and are going to the concert tomorrow." She watched Mitsuki's rapture from the information rising. "I'm sorry, I wish I knew you were coming so I could order an extra ticket-"

"No, it's fine," Ooshige-san interrupted, winking in the mirror. "Mitsuki is _Full Moon_'s biggest fan, so we thought a trip to America for her concert was something she couldn't miss!"

"Oh." Amy's voice hinted disappointment.

"I'm sorry, did we say something wrong?" Mitsuki was worried that maybe Amy didn't want her at the concert at all. Technically, she wouldn't be attending the concert, but performing the concert. Still, she wondered why Amy's attitude had changed so suddenly.

"No, it was a theory I had - guess it was incorrect." Amy attempted to give a grin, but Mitsuki knew that she was covering up the truth. "Hmm, maybe it won't snow today after all." She gazed up at the clouds as she changed the topic.

Their discussion about the weather was fairly short. Tired of a silent car ride, Ooshige-san popped in one of _Full Moon's _CDs.

"_I feel you in me. I don't know where, but I feel you. The cold comes over me, but you are warming my heart. Why do you have such a strong effect on me? How do you do it so easily?" _Mitsuki sang along softly with the CD, working hard not to strain her voice.

"You're a talented singer, Mitsuki," Amy complemented. "Eichi was right - you should be a superstar by now."

_Hehe…I already am._ Mitsuki was proud of her accomplishments in the past few months.

"We're almost there," Amy added, and the sky was darker now. "Eichi loves to ski at night. He says that he feels closer to the moon and the stars at that time."

"Sounds exactly like the Eichi I know," Mitsuki said faintly, her heart beating faster, and the butterflies tumbling around inside of her.

When they arrived, Ooshige-san dropped them off at the main lodge and went to park the car.

"Okay…it's 8:55," Amy announced after checking her watch. "Eichi should be down in a few minutes, so why don't we greet him at the bottom of the run?"

Mitsuki agreed and they made their way outside by the entrance to the sky lift, the sky a mystical dark gray. As she admired the stars and waited for the snow, someone caught her eye. It was Takuto, floating around above her.

"Takuto!" she hissed in a loud whisper, waving to the sky. He caught her signal and came down to her as Amy had a confused look on her face. "I'm calling…to my favorite star!" she lied, and moved a few inches away from Amy to talk to Takuto.

"Mitsuki, have you…met Eichi yet?" he said, struggling to keep the pain out of his voice.

"No, he's coming down to meet us. It's almost nine, right?"

"Yes, and it's not snowing, huh?"

"No…" Mitsuki's eyes glimmered with possible tears.

"No problem," Takuto completed her sentence and snapped his fingers. The snow drifted down gracefully, and his heart warmed up when he saw her joyful expression. "You look better smiling, than in tears," he commented, giving her a quick hug, hoping it wouldn't feel strange to her.

"Thank you…Takuto," she said with deep gratitude, and he felt her pulse calming down. He pulled away and looked at the main clock displayed on the outside of the lodge. It was almost 9:00 - with only thirty more seconds.

"Look!" Amy pointed out a figure skiing incredibly but skillfully quick down the mountain. "It's Eichi!"

Takuto couldn't watch Eichi - his eyes were focused on Mitsuki and all of the emotions showing plainly on her face. He was ready to brace for the impact of them reuniting and the thoughts of losing her to Eichi were flowing through his mind. But he was surprised, when he saw Mitsuki's eyes wide in horror and mouth open in shock.

"EICHI?!" she cried out in shock, her heart shattering.

**_random babble..._ooh, what's gonna happen next? anyways, i was confused by what color Mitsuki's eyes should be - in the anime, they look brown or gray and on the manga cover, they're golden or blue. what's up with that? well, i hope improvising and picking a color didn't make anyone mad. i just make things up as i go along. a bientôt et au revoir (see you soon and good-bye)!**


	7. Chapter 7

**salut et quoi de neuf (hi and what's new)! for ch. 7, there are a few things that i need to address. first of all, this is rated T, so if you are a little disturbed by blood/language, you have been warned (although i think it's only blood in this chapter). also, i wrote this pretty quick, so désolé if i repeat words, have some typos, or grammar bugs (i did proofread, but sometimes i miss things). lastly, i would recommend keeping some tissues close by... merci beaucoup to everyone who favorited/alerted this story. read, review, and enjoy Like Snow ch. 7, s'il vous plait.**

**disclaimer: i do not own full moon wo sagashite, but all new songs mitsuki writes are mine**

_Love Chronicle:_

_Why? I've completely forgotten how to love_

_Meetings will come someday with the beginning of parting_

_Somehow, I have decided upon that idea_

It felt like a dream. That one perfect run and the snow that was sparkling like expensive gems - there was no way that it could be real. But as he was feeling the exhilaration swell in his heart, he knew that there was a chance that it could be over nothing at all.

"_You have saved me_

_Even though I can't see you now_

_I feel the shadow covering me_

_But the light of you is still shining."_

His music pulsed through his ipod and into his ears, but directly connecting to his heart. Mitsuki was singing to him, and he was sure that she was waiting for him at the base of the mountain. How come he had a sense that they would never meet? Was he being worried that after they had gotten so close, they were still very far away?

The wind rushed past his body and he skis were slick on the slushy snow. Even though the conditions seemed difficult, he was confident that he would make it - he had done harder runs before. After two years, he would do anything or go through any obstacle just to see her for a brief moment. With her words echoing in his head, he had no clue that someone was waiting for him.

Izumi watched with amusement, following Eichi down the hill. "If Miki knew what I was doing, she wouldn't like me anymore…" he said, his conscience screaming at him. "But Miki's not the boss of me…" he hopped off of his post and floated next to Eichi as he continued to descend down the mountain, gaining speed. The shadow of a snowboarder nearby caught Izumi's attention. A sly grin spread across his face. _So this is what fate has in store for him…interesting._

Eichi's face was determined and focused. Izumi studied the skill and movement he used to navigate through anything blocking his way. It was impressive, and Izumi almost felt guilty to be taking his life - but then again he didn't _end _it.

"Mitsuki…I'm coming." He heard Eichi say, almost out of breath. Izumi wasn't sure how many runs he had went on before this one, but he knew that Eichi was exhausted. _The things people do for love, _he shook his head, remembering the experiences he had where he acted exactly like Eichi was. Desperate, hopeful, and worried were feelings that he noticed caused a situation similar to this, and he knew how to avoid it.

The snowboarder was rapidly gaining behind them and Izumi could feel himself almost flying into a vertical dive. The clock was almost to 9:00. His lips pulled into a smug smile. There was no way out for Eichi now.

"_Just like a guardian angel_

_Always with me_

_You mean too much_

_For me to forget you_

_My angel in my heart…"_

"Mitsuki!" Eichi called out, only seconds before the snowboarder lost balanced, and landed face-forward in the snow, the force strong enough to fling to board off of his feet. It flew right at Eichi, hitting him exactly in the back. He began to fall forward, his legs hopelessly tangled. To make the situation worse, he had been pushed by being hit by the board directly into a tree.

And with that, it was all over. Izumi had pulled out of his dive and hovered above Eichi's limp body for a few moments, waiting for any signs of breathing or a heart beating…

_You tied my loose shoe laces of my dirty sneakers_

_Your shy smile suddenly shone in the sunlight_

"EICHI?!" Mitsuki screamed again, and out of panic, she began to run up the mountain. Takuto spun around and noticed that Eichi wasn't skiing down anymore - instead, he saw Izumi next to a tree by what he assumed was Eichi.

"This is not good…" he said in frustration as he flew up ahead of Mitsuki. "Mitsuki, stay here!" he ordered.

"No, I have to go!" Her tears were overflowing and she continued to run, the snow the continued to fall, blinding her vision.

"Mitsuki, stay," Meroko whispered from behind her. She had stayed with Ooshige-san, but returned when she noticed a new word in the book: **snow**. "If you don't stay on your own will, I'll have to make you."

Amy had taken off to get help in the lodge and rescue teams were already working on finding a way to bring Eichi back down. Mitsuki did not stop running, and her coughing was acting up.

Takuto scooped Mitsuki up in his arms just as she was about to faint. "Izumi's up there," he muttered in Meroko's ear. "You take her back to Ooshige-san - I'll see what I can do." He handed her over to Meroko, who nodded, understanding how serious the situation was.

"I'll take care of her," Meroko promised as she took off.

Takuto returned his focus to keeping Izumi from taking Eichi's life. "I can't let him go…" he stepped on a ski jump that would give him a good enough take off to launch into the sky.

Izumi couldn't tell if Eichi's heartbeat was slowing down or speeding up. The breathing was slow, and uneven, as if he were struggling. _He's close, _he thought as he heard Takuto slicing through the air, coming closer to them. "Didn't I tell you that you would want to know?" he asked when Takuto had reached them.

Takuto ignored him and carefully picked up Eichi's near to lifeless body, trying his hardest to not injure him any further. "Good, you're still alive…"

"But he won't be for much longer," Izumi added, pointed to the large amount of blood that stained the pure white snow. "He's been beaten up pretty badly - even if he gets to a hospital in time, can they save him?"

Both of the Shinigami paused as they heard the ski patrol arriving with snowmobiles. Takuto put Eichi back down gently as the emergency workers loaded him on a sled. They were responsible for his life now. Takuto was about to follow them, but Izumi grabbed his arm, leaving him hovering in the air.

"Why do you want to save someone who will take her away from you?" he asked, seeing the determination Takuto was displaying. Izumi didn't understand Takuto. Even though he was a Shinigami, why would he care so much for a human life he was supposed to take?

"Although she's precious to me, if Eichi is who she wants…Eichi is who she'll have," Takuto finished painfully and Izumi let go of Takuto's arm. He continued to follow the snowmobiles as Izumi stayed right by the bloody snow.

"Sorry, Miki," he murmured as he unclipped the bracelet and knelt down to dip it in Eichi's blood. He watched the red liquid stain the golden chain and began to realize that while he was being punished, maybe he was supposed to learn the value of a life. Because he ignored the value of his life, maybe that was why he was a Shinigami. He didn't know, but as he stood back up and clipped the blood-soaked bracelet onto his opposite arm, he watched it glimmer in the artificial light for the night skiers. "But things aren't supposed to be this way…" He flew up into the darkness to track down the hospital where Eichi would be taken.

_It's not that I love for the want of love_

_You gave me the courage to love straightforward_

The shock - everything happened to quickly for her to process it. Nothing else had ever hurt more than what she had seen. And now, she was positive that it was all over.

"Mitsuki…please eat." Meroko offered a tray of foreign, but tempting smelling food. Mitsuki turned away in disgust - the thought of eating anything at the moment made her feel absolutely sick.

"No…" she weakly refused, curling up in her chair in the emergency area's waiting room. Amy was using the hospital phone to call everyone she knew. _I know they're not dating…if they were, she'd be acting like me._ "Where's Takuto?" she asked, her pale face and red eyes almost making Meroko cry.

"He went to get Eichi before you fainted," Meroko assured her, looking at the plate of food. _Wow, she's really a mess now._ "Don't worry - Takuto's trying his best to help him."

"I doubt it…" Mitsuki said with a sigh. Takuto was always upset when Eichi was brought up, so why would he want to save him?

"Mitsuki, think positive," Meroko insisted, picking up a food that was called "pizza" and slowly began to chew on it. It was hot, but Meroko enjoyed its unique taste and scent. "You should eat something, even if it's only a small crumb." She attempted to push the tray a bit closer to Mitsuki.

"I'm good," Mitsuki muttered, covering her mouth with her hand and shoving the food away. She could feel her body and soul rejecting everything. _What will I do if he is dead? _She thought, as she was about to close her eyes to rest - but she noticed someone floating through the hallways. It was Izumi and all of a sudden, her heart sank. _He's here for him…_but her eyes caught the bracelet that she gave him - covered in blood. _Please, Izumi…wait a little bit longer…_

_The two sear to the journey from now_

_That no matter what occurs; the two hands will never part_

"He's lost a lot of blood," the surgeon said as they wheeled Eichi into the operating room. "No clue how much we can fix - if there's anything we _can_ fix." They prepared their instruments and gave him anesthesia to put him to sleep. Takuto floated in through the wall and saw how badly his body had been beaten up.

"Dr. Nord, what will we do first?" a nurse asked with a look of worry on her face. "With injuries this extreme, what can we do without hurting something else?"

"We'll start with an incision here…and then we'll investigate the damage there…" As the doctor explained his plan of action, Takuto couldn't help but feel that the situation was similar to something he had experienced.

_"Takuto, we'll have to start by operating here…and then when it's removed, we'll see what else has been harmed…"_ He shook his head as the image of him on the operating table flashed before his eyes.

"You may have gotten here first," Izumi said as he entered through the wall behind him. "But I will leave with Eichi."

Takuto pushed his memories that were beginning to resurface into the back of his mind. "No, I made a promise to Mitsuki." They watched as the doctor started the operation.

"It's not possible for him to survive," Izumi stated confidently. "_No one_ will interfere with his death." His stare was dark and threatening.

They watched in silence as the surgery progressed and Eichi's heart rate became stronger. While Takuto struggled with his memories, Izumi fought with his conscience. Only when Eichi's heart rate dropped, did they speak again.

"Suction! And I need some more blood!" Dr. Nord ordered, and the surgical team rapidly did as they were told.

"The end is near…" Izumi said with a sly grin. "I guess whoever gets to him first wins."

Takuto said nothing and hoped for Eichi to stabilize. Unfortunately, his wishing was not enough, and as he continued to watch in pain, he heard the common beep of flat lining. "No…" he called out dimly, as the tone rang in his ears. Finally, they saw the bright image of Eichi's soul, and Takuto knew that he had to fight for it, no matter what.

"Sakurai Eichi," Izumi started, his attitude calm and smooth. "You need to come with me-"

"No! Don't listen to him!" Takuto shouted, wondering what would happen to Mitsuki if Eichi were taken away. "Mitsuki's waiting for you outside…so, don't die."

Eichi studied both of the Shinigami, unsure of whom to believe. "Mitsuki…is waiting for me?"

"Yes," they both answered in unison.

"But, she's with me," Izumi lied slyly.

"Don't listen to him!" Takuto repeated, just about ready to punch Izumi. "She's actually with me!"

"Why would you lie?" Eichi asked, his attitude confused and innocent.

"I'm not here to lie to you. I'm here to take you where you belong." Izumi shrugged and pointed to Takuto. "_He _is in love with Mitsuki, and wants to steal her from you."

"Liar!" Takuto's fists tightened, and he wasn't sure how to answer Eichi. "I do love her, but she loves you…I can't take you away from her."

"Mitsuki wants you to come with me," Izumi added with a calm tone in his voice. "So you two can be together."

Eichi's eyes widened. "Mitsuki is…dead?" he fumbled with the words, wondering if it was the truth.

"She's alive! I can prove it!" Takuto was growing exhausted of competing with Izumi. He was clearly more experienced in taking lives, so he knew exactly what to say.

"I can prove that she's dead. You see this bracelet?" He pointed to the gold chain dipped in blood with the moon-shaped bead still a shiny black. "She gave it to me when she died."

"No! She wrote that song for you - _Angel In My Heart_. She's right outside the operating room! Even though she came all the way from Japan, you would just die before she saw you?" Takuto didn't know what to say anymore. "She wanted it to snow when she met you again…why does the snow have to be soaked in blood?" He dropped to the ground and pounded his fist on the ground.

"You want to protect her, right?" Izumi asked Takuto, ignoring Eichi for a moment.

Takuto nodded, but kept his eyes on the ground, knowing that they were filled with hate for Izumi.

"Then Eichi needs to come with me. If he doesn't, Miki will die for sure."

He couldn't make that decision. Mitsuki's happiness for a little while versus her sadness for an entire lifetime - what was he supposed to chose? Was it his decision? "Mitsuki…"

**_random babble..._i listen to music all the time when i write. sometimes, if i'm really into the music, i'll be proofreading, and wonder why i wrote a certain sentence or paragraph (it's been happening more and more lately...). for this fanfic, i'm listening to more japanese pop or rock so that i don't have three languages swirling around in my head (it can get confusing). a bientôt et au revoir (see you soon and good-bye)!**


	8. Chapter 8

**salut et quoi de neuf (hi and what's new)! i finally found time to write ch. 8, and i'm pleased with how it turned out. désolé, if you think i was being to mean to the characters (my conscience kept nagging me about it). now i used the english translations of the songs from the Full Moon wo Sagashite anime, so the translation is weird and i'm not really responsible for that (no, i have no clue what "cuddles togetherhana" means). read, review, and enjoy Like Snow ch. 8, s'il vous plait.**

**disclaimer: i do not own full moon wo sagashite, but all new songs mitsuki writes are mine**

_It's weird, the everyday landscape begin to seem special_

_The flowers, birds, and sea the wind, mountains, sweet sun_

_When everything shines and cuddles togetherhana_

_If he isn't alive…what will I do? What is left for me? Where will my desire go? _Mitsuki's thoughts were filled with questions that burned through her heart as she pretended to be asleep. No one knew how much she was falling apart inside, and she wasn't sure how she would react to Eichi being alive or dead. Would she run? Would she cry? Would she sigh with relief? Nothing was clear at the moment, and she was curled up in her chair, hoping and praying that he would hold on at least until she said three simple words: "I love you".

She was sure that she would have enough courage to tell him this time. Now that she was older, everything began to make sense, and she was learning from her mistakes. If Eichi could see how much she had grown and smiled at her progress, she would ask for nothing else from Takuto and Meroko, who had helped her so much.

Meroko never took her eyes off of Mitsuki for one second. She knew that Mitsuki wasn't asleep - but didn't say a word to her anyways. Right now, Mitsuki needed to sort out what had happened by herself, and Meroko felt that it was best to watch from a distance. _Takuto, please hurry. I'm…afraid that she won't be okay if she has to wait any longer._ Meroko pulled the Shinigami handbook back out as she continued to wait for Takuto's return. The keyword had disappeared, and she sighed with relief. _At least _something _is going right._ She brought her attention back to Mitsuki and heard her mumbling random words quietly.

"Eichi…I-I'm…snow…" the clearness of the words dipped in and out of Meroko's hearing range.

_If she's snow, I bet she's cold, _Meroko thought with a chuckle as she dragged a blanket that covered Mitsuki, but had slid down to her lap, back over her shoulders. _She shouldn't have to feel this way. I never want her to feel the way I did…_ She gazed out into the dark sky of America and wondered how their pleasant vacation had just become a painful waiting game.

_I found the last piece to the unsolvable jigsaw puzzle_

_Your broad back protects me and I'll continue to follow you_

_For eternity_

"No…" Takuto struggled with forcing his memories back and trying to get up from the floor, placing his hand against the ice-cold operating room walls to help support himself. "Don't make _me_ choose." He glared at Izumi intensely, stubbornly trying to keep him from taking Eichi and buy time until Meroko would get involved. The annoying sound of the ticking clock resonated in his head, weakening his focus.

"I didn't _want_ to do this, but since you're interfering with my job," Izumi began, knowing that he didn't want to be the bad guy in Mitsuki's eyes, but at the same time, determined to get his job done. "It's time you let those memories flood back to you…maybe with help from a soothing song by Route L called _Eternal Snow._" He grinned, catching Takuto's confused look. "I heard that the singer had a magnificent voice. Too bad he died _two years ago_…"

Takuto clapped his hands over his ears, the sound bouncing off of the walls of his skull and mixing with the feeling of pressure as his memories kept building up. "Izumi…you…are-"

"Not evil, that's for sure," he finished, taking Eichi's hand, ready to take off. "An evil person can't love someone as pure as her. Therefore, I'm not evil." He stuck his tongue out a Takuto, and began to hover slowly off the ground, Eichi following wordlessly behind him.

"No! Eichi don't leave!" Takuto slammed a fist against the wall, sending a huge vibration throughout the operating room, spooking the doctors. "If you leave, she'll lose her will to live!"

"Tell her…I love her," Eichi answered Takuto, a blank expression on his face, and he continued to follow Izumi.

"You can't!" Takuto yelled out in frustration, the memories ready to burst. "She'll never forgive me!"

"Maybe she won't, but at least I'll always be watching over her," Eichi hesitated as Izumi continued to float upwards. "Wait - I want to say goodbye to her."

Izumi nodded, and descended back to the ground, a light tap coming from his shoes as he touched the floor. "You only have a few minutes."

"That's all I need."

"Alright then…"

Takuto was about to launch himself forward to stop Eichi from leaving for sure. As he pushed off from the wall, he heard a familiar voice - his voice - and collapsed to the floor as soon as he was in the air. Unconscious and fighting through lost memories he lay motionless on the floor. Izumi hopped over him and muttered an apology as he followed Eichi to the emergency room waiting room.

_Until now, I've took the longer way around but_

_I'm finally able to love straight-forward_

"She looks…so peaceful," Eichi said softly as he watched Mitsuki, fast asleep in her chair. Meroko was out cold beside her and Izumi observed her as Eichi was saying good-bye.

_Eichi?_ Mitsuki was certain that she had heard his voice, and she could feel herself being gradually pulled out of her sleep. _Will I finally be able to tell him?_

"Mitsuki, I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear, and she flinched as the reality of his words sank into her heart.

She shot up at once from her chair, only to find that almost everyone else around her was asleep. The first thing she noticed that was different about the waiting room was that Eichi was there - right in front of her.

"Mitsuki…" Eichi started, and Izumi floated up behind him, seeing that Mitsuki had woken up.

"No, y-you can't be…" Her eyes were overflowing with tears, the bright glow surrounding Eichi proving to her that he was dead. She turned her gaze to Izumi. "Why?" she asked, her red eyes, questioning him. "Why…couldn't you wait?"

"Death can't just _wait_ for people. It happens." He turned away from her, glad that Meroko wasn't awake to join in their conversation. "You should be lucky - I let him visit you."

"It's not enough! Now he'll never know!" Mitsuki sobbed into her hands, and felt a light touch on her shoulders. She looked up, feeling instantly calmer after meeting Eichi's kind eyes.

"I'll know - actually, I always knew. Even if you couldn't say it, I know you felt it." He lifted her chin up, and her face in his hands, his fingers gently wiping away each tear streaming down her cheek.

"I…love you," she admitted, her words strong, but embarrassment clearly showing on her face. "And I have reached my dreams…but I'll be without you-"

"Do think that I would want to leave you all alone?" He checked the clock of the waiting room, his time almost up. "That cat guy - I don't know his name - he'll look after you."

"Takuto?" She thought back to all of the times that Takuto had saved her, and realized that Eichi was right.

"He loves you, maybe more than I do." Eichi caught one final tear with his finger, and gave Mitsuki a kiss on the cheek, surprising her. "I've got to go…"

Izumi, who was waiting nearby, extended his hand to Eichi. He took it, while looking back at Mitsuki. Her tears were dry now, with the redness of her eyes beginning to fade away. Before they left, Izumi snapped his fingers, and Mitsuki fell back asleep. Now, she would believe that everything she had just experienced was a dream.

"Please, Mitsuki…continue to live…"

_The two will head to the dream of tomorrow_

_No matter what occurs, the gaze won't be shifted_

Takuto regained consciousness after the buzz of the medical staff cleaning up the operating room and preparing to tell the friends and family the news. He had remembered everything, and even though his memories were muddled and unclear, he knew the important facts - his identity, how he died, and most importantly, the people he knew.

"We better tell them," the surgeon suggested to the nurse beside him, and they left the operating room.

_Ugh, my head feels terrible…_Takuto thought as he struggled to get up, his head probably hitting the floor harder than he thought when he blacked out. _What happened? _He searched around the room to figure out what had happened. His eyes spotted a white sheet on the operating table, and at once, he realized that he had lost to Izumi.

"It never gets any easier - watching these difficult operations end badly," an assistant surgeon said to another nurse as they scrubbed their operating tools clean at a sink. "I would have had a perfect night if he would have survived."

"Crap - now I've got to get to Mitsuki before the doctor does." Takuto took off, flying through the halls at an extremely quick speed, and arrived just as the doctor was about to give everyone the news. Mitsuki had spotted him, her eyes swollen, and a distant expression on her face - almost as if she already knew.

"Takuto, what happened?" Meroko asked, yawning and stretching beside Mitsuki.

"Takuto…" Mitsuki added weakly, her appearance breaking Takuto's heart.

He hesitated, and tried to sort out the best way to tell them what had happened. Unable to come up with a way that would soften the pain, he stared at the ground, and avoided Meroko and Mitsuki's stares. "I'm so sorry…I lost him…" He heard Mitsuki jump out of her chair and watched speechlessly as she ran desperately to the room where Eichi was.

"No…it was a dream," she told herself, her tears clouding her vision, but it didn't matter - somehow, where he was seemed to be calling to her. Her breathing became heavy and she heard the continuous rhythm of her shoes against the hard floor. _I will not lose someone else I care about_, she thought as she felt her pulse rapidly speed up and a feeling of hopelessness started to set in. Finally, she stopped outside of the room that she was drawn to. She could hear Takuto and Meroko calling after her and she knew that they were probably flying to her as well. Ignoring their voices, she opened the door carefully, hoping with all of her heart that he was still alive.

_It's not that I love for the want of love_

_You gave me the courage to love straight-forward_

"It's all over…" She held the door wide open, the remaining doctors in the room staring at her.

"Um, excuse me, but you can't be in here-" a nurse said kindly to her, and tried to lead Mitsuki out the door.

"I _can_ be in here." Mitsuki pushed past the nurse forcefully, and took a seat by the wall farthest from where the medical staff continued to clean up. She kept her eyes on the table, and barely noticed when Takuto and Meroko came into the room.

"Mitsuki," Meroko began, taking a seat next to her. "Takuto tried…"

"He tried, but I'm still here without him." Her expression was faint, and she leaned her cheek against the wall, wishing that the same absence of heat would spread over her body. "All I wanted was one single word with him. I guess it was too much to ask for."

Takuto kept his distance from Meroko and Mitsuki. He had failed Mitsuki, the one person he loved more than anything else in the world. Now, he had no idea how she would feel about him. He could tell that she was broken, and at the moment, he deeply wanted to help her pick up the pieces - but would she let him?

"Being a Shinigami…it's difficult," Meroko said, watching Takuto, who was all the way across the room. "You can't save everyone, and if you can, what are you supposed to do?" She paused as Ooshige-san entered the room cautiously, the doctor right behind her.

"Why do you two want to help me?" Mitsuki closed her eyes, and placed a hand against the wall, her fingers tingling at the touch of the frozen wall. "Everything I lived for is gone."

"Not everything." Takuto floated over after hearing the emptiness in her last sentence, and looked her straight in the eye. "Eichi's not your throat, your mind, or your heart. He was the one you loved, and those people change. If you're still able to live you should."

"No…" she protested faintly, averting his gaze. "My dreams were for him, and you can't decide how long I live."

"I'm not going to let you be the new Shinigami-in-training." Takuto's determination was fierce, and as he saw her color draining from her face, he pulled her into his arms, and could hear her heartbeat slowing down. "I decided to look after you, and I'm going to do it until the end."

Meroko's eyes glimmered with tears. She had to tell him know, or her feelings would fade away without him ever knowing. If him and Mitsuki were going to move forward, at least she could be left behind knowing that she didn't have any regrets. "Takuto, I love you…and if you don't listen this time-"

"Meroko, I _loved_ you." He held Mitsuki tighter and he could sense that she had blacked out. "But I know that someone else loves you more than I do." They remained silent, lost in their own thoughts as they watched Mitsuki sleep, sorting through the reasons why she needed to live or die.

_The two will head to the dream of tomorrow_

_No matter what occurs, the gaze won't be shifted_

_If I'm left here all alone…what is left? Why should I move on without him? Was my prayer not enough?_ The questions in Mitsuki's mind would have kept her awake, but she stayed asleep, too exhausted to fight with the world. Giving in wasn't that hard, and she had realized that when it was her time to die, maybe she should just give up.

"_You've touched my mind_

_Now you've taken over my heart_

_Every time I saw you_

_I would get such a rush_

_But I know I'll be noticed soon enough."_

_That's a lie_, Mitsuki thought with the pain piercing her heart as she heard her own words and feelings replay over in her head. _How can I feel that way about someone who isn't here anymore?_

"_Someday I will be braver_

_I will not be frozen with your words of love_

_Looking back again_

_It still hurts inside_

_But I'm trying to tell you those words."_

Her memories showed her the last moments she saw of Eichi. _If only I had been stronger back then…he'll never see how much progress I've made…_

"_And my little prayer_

_I hope it reaches the sun_

_But if it gets to you_

_That's a start_

_And everyday I wish to see you_

_I hope with all of my heart_

_But if I still love you_

_It's enough…"_

_It _wasn't_ enough_, Mitsuki reminded herself harshly while she felt herself slipping into a deeper sleep. _Now I am truly alone._

**_random babble..._there's this gigantic blizzard where i live (i really think it's only snow sprinkle, so people should stop whining). anyways, i just get to spend the entire day with my evil computer (oh joy...), but at least i get some writing done. i can't let myself look outside the window when it's snowing or raining - i always get sleepy, hypnotized, or my eyes hurt. why does the weather hate me (just kidding)? a bientôt et au revoir (see you soon and good-bye)!**


	9. Chapter 9

**salut et quoi de neuf (hi and what's new)! here's ch. 9, and it's short because it will lead up to the final two chapters. i was listening to two songs of ai otsuka's - cherish and daisuki dayo - while writing this. i felt sad while writing this chapter (désolé). anyways, i actually included a whole original song this time (i was going to write a new one, but i found this one that i forgot about on my quizilla). it's called, _I'm Without You_, and i think it captures the mood of this chapter. read, review, and enjoy Like Snow ch. 9, s'il vous plait.**

**disclaimer: i do not own full moon wo sagashite, but all new songs mitsuki writes are mine**

_It's not that I love for the want of love_

_You gave me the courage to love straight-forward_

Everywhere she went, Mitsuki felt lonely the morning after Eichi had died. Even though she distinctly remembered falling asleep in the operating room, she woke up under the warm blankets of her hotel room bed. For about an hour, she locked herself in the bathroom and asked Meroko and Takuto to leave her alone during that time. Her mind was filled with depressed thoughts swirling around and around in a violent storm, and she didn't care. She allowed the emptiness to spread and grow throughout her, and Ooshige-san considered canceling the performance, but Mitsuki refused.

"I will perform today," she stated, her voice distant.

"Mitsuki, I'm not sure that you want to do this-" Ooshige-san began, clearly worried about the serious change in Mitsuki's attitude.

"I have no choice…" Mitsuki sighed and brushed past Ooshige-san before she could say another word.

Takuto and Meroko observed their conversation, also having no success in communicating with Mitsuki.

"What are we going to do?" Meroko asked Takuto, and they followed Mitsuki as she prepared to go on stage. "If she continues like this-"

"We can't _let_ her," Takuto finished for her, his determined eyes focused on every move Mitsuki made. "I'm not going to let her make the same mistake we did."

Meroko nodded silently, and wondered if Takuto knew about his past. He had seemed different since yesterday, especially in the fact that he was watching over Mitsuki as if he had made a promise earlier.

"I know…everything…" he said in disbelief, and was zoning out while they were floating above Mitsuki. "But I can't fade away - I need to fix things and make up for losing Eichi."

Meroko's eyes were wide in shock. Her guess was correct, and now she was certain that there was little time left. With Mitsuki's date of death coming up, and Takuto ready to become a ghost, she would be the only one left behind. Maybe existing alone wasn't so bad, but it was the fact that her friends would be gone that stung inside of her. Was there anything she could do to stop the world from spinning so fast?

"Eichi…this final song will be for you," Mitsuki said while staring up at the lights, hesitating to see if she would cry or not. "I spent this morning when I was alone to work on it…"

Takuto and Meroko watched silently as they waited for her to sing the song that she had poured every single feeling into. If she were about to keep living the way she felt at that moment, at least they would know why by her song.

"_Reflecting back on all those old memories_

_You'd think I'd be sad_

_But I'm empty_

_I was truly alive_

_More than I am now_

_Can't this torture end?"_

_Eichi…it hurts too much to be without you. I did everything I was supposed to, and why are you gone? Did I do something wrong? _The sparkle in Mitsuki's eyes was missing, probably extinguished when she saw that he was dead in the operating room. Her song had been written so quickly, but there was already a piano tune to it, and during the break she was supposed to come up with lyrics. She hated how the words were inspired by such an ugly experience.

"_I want to be with you_

_And yet I'm without you_

_Wishing you could be here_

_And still I'm without you…"_

Takuto could hear her voice tremble, and she was missing her notes, which reduced a potentially beautiful song to an aching and lonely melody. He wanted the song to stop, but Mitsuki's voice to continue. No matter how emotionally wounded she had gotten last night, he knew that if she would just listen to her own voice, she would return to her old self.

"_Replaying everything again_

_It doesn't make sense_

_They think I need help_

_But I can do this alone_

_I was truly complete_

_More than I am now_

_Will my torture end?"_

Meroko had no idea how to imagine what Mitsuki was going through. She could only be there for her, and try as much as she could to brighten her up. Like she had said before, they were too involved now, and leaving Mitsuki to fall into her own sadness wouldn't be the right thing to do. She gazed into the sky and hoped that Izumi felt guilty for what he had done.

"_I want to be with you_

_And yet I'm without you_

_Wishing you could be here_

_And still I'm without you."_

Izumi hid from Takuto and Meroko's vision to watch Mitsuki's concert. It began to bother him more and more that he had taken Eichi away from Mitsuki, but there was nothing else he could do. He glanced at his bracelet, the red color stained on the gold chain reminding him of how he had disappointed himself, and those that he loved. Meroko and Mitsuki were important to him now, even though he had never admitted it to them. Now that he had done his job, he was certain that both of them would absolutely hate him.

"_I want it all to go back_

_To when you were alive_

_Make my suffering end_

_And be with you_

_No longer without you_

_Heal me once again_

_Can my torture end?"_

_Why are all of my emotions like snow? _Mitsuki wondered while the lights dimmed. _I keep feeling these emotions build up, and then melt…_

_The two swear to journey from now _

_That no matter what occurs, the two hands will never part_

_I guess I have to make things right, _Izumi thought painfully as he waited outside of her hotel window that night. _And, I think that I know the only way _to_ make it right…but would she really do it?_ He took a quick look into the window, and saw Meroko and Takuto fast asleep on the couch, giving Mitsuki her space. He expected her to be asleep as well, but she lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"What do I do now?" She asked the ceiling, not blinking once. "When your inspiration is gone, what else can you do?"

"I…can help," Izumi started, scaring her briefly. He had come in through the wall, his image casting a shadow on the couch where Meroko and Takuto were. "But only if you truly want it…"

She thought over her situation carefully, questioning if she could trust Izumi after all that he had done.

"I want to make up for what I did. I didn't know that it would make you lose your will to live," he admitted, floating down to stand on the floor.

"Will…to live?" she repeated, confused by his words.

"Well, do you want to die?" He hoped that using such blunt words would scare her out of her depression.

"Maybe…"

His eyes shot open after she spoke. _Crap…that was _not _the way I wanted her to reply. What if she-_

"Are you finally here to take me so I can be with him?" she completed the thought for him, obviously dreaming of her Eichi.

_Great, now what do I do?_ He thought, glancing at Takuto and Meroko who were out cold. What truth or lie could he use to snap her out of it?

**_random babble..._so, i haven't finished the manga of full moon wo sagashite (please don't hate me!). i didn't get a change to buy any manga or borrow it at the library (and i don't read manga online very often), so i've only gotten to book 5...so sad...i hope i'm not making this story too depressing (if it is, don't worry - the end will be sunny and happy!). merci for reading this far of my first fanfiction. a bientôt et au revoir (see you soon and good-bye)!**


	10. Chapter 10

**salut et quoi de neuf (hi and what's new)! this is the second to last chapter (i kind of feel sad that it's done so soon). once again, i used the english translation of New Future, so i had all of these extremely long phrases that i broke up where i thought it made sense. i actually listened to english music while writing this chapter (i guess i felt like The Killers), so my grammar should not be weird. hmm, for this story ending, i guess i don't have much to say. read, review, and enjoy Like Snow ch. 10, s'il vous plait.**

**disclaimer: i do not own full moon wo sagashite, but all new songs mitsuki writes are mine**

_New Future:_

_Just one thing doesn't change_

_The dream I painted_

_How did I appear as I am now?_

_In my young eyes back then_

_Hey, look up at it; it's such a vast night sky_

_So that soon, so that you understand_

_You will shine at your best soon so hurry_

_Look for the FULL MOON_

Izumi came closer to Mitsuki's face, sensing her pulse speed up. _Good, she's scared now…_

"Are you?" she asked again, feeling as if she had a million butterflies hitting against the side of her stomach. If he was there to take her, could she truly give up just to meet Eichi again?

"How much time to you have left…?" he sat on her bed with a new plan in his mind, and he had no clue if it would work.

"A week…I think…" her voice became quieter as Izumi leaned even closer to her.

"If you really want to leave, I have a way that is quick and painless-" Izumi began, but he was interrupted by the hotel room light suddenly being switched on. He covered his eyes with his hand, the unexpected bright light blinding him.

Takuto stood by the light switch, glaring at Izumi. "You thought I was asleep, huh?" He noticed how close Izumi and Mitsuki were - there were only five centimeters of air separating them. "What the hell is going on here?" He asked the question, but wasn't certain if he wanted to know the answer. Even though he had never seen Mitsuki and Izumi have an actual conversation before, why did it seem like they were familiar with each other?

"Uh…what's going on?" Everyone turned to see Meroko, who was rubbing her sleep filled eyes, trying to get a grasp on the situation. "…Izumi?" Once she blinked out the sleepers she saw exactly what Takuto saw - and was about to cry. Instead, she moved at an incredibly swift speed and slapped Izumi, leaving his cheek a bright red.

"You better answer us," Takuto added while floating over to Mitsuki to make sure Izumi didn't do anything to her.

Izumi massaged his sore cheek and got up from the bed. "I was giving her a way out…unlike you two, who are making her live in her misery."

"That's not true!" Meroko yelled at him, and she appeared ready to slap him again. "In time, she'll move on, like any ordinary person!"

"Move on?" Mitsuki copied the words slowly, feeling scared that she would forget Eichi. _I don't want him to fade away in my memories…_

"Izumi, just leave," ordered Takuto, who was starting to feel as if a fever was spreading across his body.

"Of course…but, I wonder how you'll deal with _fading away_," he said with amusement as he left like a shadow - silently and quickly.

"Takuto, what's going on?" Mitsuki asked, all of the events that were happening too complex for her to understand.

"It's nothing…" he shrugged and moved back over to the light switch. "Go back to bed." He was relieved when Mitsuki followed his orders and when he switched the lights off, he sighed. _How _will _I deal with fading away?_

_Let's sing a song!_

_Together forever_

_Everything I can do for you right now_

_Day by day_

_Your destiny until now_

_From tomorrow, clutch your hopes to your chest_

_Let's sing a song!_

_Together forever_

_If I'm with you I can overcome any hardship_

_More and more_

_More and more and more I want to be closer_

_Please stay right here_

_Many thanks for you!_

"Hey, Takuto…you asleep?" Meroko's eyes had adjusted to the darkness and she lay still, unable to sleep. She heard his snore in response, and returned to the thoughts swirling in her mind. "What are we going to do?" she whispered, unconfident that they would be able to pull themselves out of their situation. With only a week left, she was positive that they didn't want Mitsuki to die anymore. There were so many things that life still had for her, and after thinking about it, Meroko decided that she wanted Mitsuki's future to be changed. She was sure that Takuto was going to agree with her.

She glanced over at Mitsuki's bed and knew that she was asleep. Meroko had never been a strong singer, but in a combination of a hum and a whisper, she felt the words flow melodically from her mouth.

"_Let it all fall_

_Watch her float gracefully down_

_Nothing you could do_

_You're stuck behind the lines with me…"_

At first, Meroko was self-conscious, and was surprised that Takuto continued to be slumbering. He had joked before that her voice could shatter glass.

"_When she's falling hopelessly in the dark_

_You can't save her_

_She's in pain all alone_

_There's no way to be there for her_

_What would you do to save her?"_

Perhaps it was foolish of Takuto to fall in love with Mitsuki. He would only find pain trying to save her. But in a way, Meroko could see why he would suffer so much for her. She made him feel alive, and that gave him a sense of hope.

"_I watch you dive_

_Headfirst into it all_

_She's drowning slowly_

_How much longer will you struggle?"_

Meroko knew she couldn't finish the entire song as she felt sleep calling gently to her again. If there were a way to save Takuto, she would do it - even if he ended up with Mitsuki. _Maybe that will be my way to make up for what I have done…_

"_When she's calling your name_

_You can save her_

_This pain is not her's alone_

_She wants you close to her_

_When she's running to you_

_You can catch her _

_Heal her pain_

_What would you do to save her?"_

_Yes Takuto…you can save her…_ Meroko thought as she drifted off into her nap.

_Wonderous chance meetings _

_As long as they keep happenings_

_We have ever more precious things_

_All those days full of chance mischief _

_Now I can laugh and love them_

_That's right, I always yearned for the wide stage_

_Now I'm no longer alone_

_Everyone is full of smiles_

_Because this is where I am_

Early in the morning, when it was still dark out, Takuto was sure he had heard singing - but it wasn't Mitsuki. His memories kept replaying like a video that had the stop button broken. There was no way to turn it off and no way to forget.

He felt Meroko poking his shoulder before the sun began to rise and he turned over to face her.

"Takuto…I'm going to help you by a way that I heard of a long time ago…"

"Will it work?" he asked, searching his knowledge for anything that he may have heard about something like this.

"It should…" her voice was faint, and her eyes confirming that she had been crying sometime during the night.

"What is it?"

"Well…I can't do it until the exact day Mitsuki is supposed to die. Then we can make the switch…"

Takuto's mouth dropped as soon as he heard the word "switch". "You're not thinking of doing _that _are you?"

"That's only half of the plan," she tried to say as calmly as she could. At least he was upset that she was sacrificing herself for him. Seeing his reaction gave her both courage and sadness, but she knew that she made a promise to herself and she planned on keeping it. "I want you to give me your memories-"

"What about you? What will happen to you?" Takuto was genuinely worried about her.

"You let me worry about that," she told him with a wink, her attitude instantly brighter. She _had _to be that way for him. If she weren't, he wouldn't let her go through with the plan. "Is Mitsuki awake yet?" she asked to distract him.

He heard Mitsuki shift to lie on her side. "She'll probably be up in a few minutes."

"You know, Takuto…at first I was jealous of her," Meroko admitted and sat up, hugging her knees to watch the sunrise outside the hotel window. It would be the last sunrise in America for her to see since they were leaving to return to Japan that day.

"Really?"

"Yeah, it was stupid," she said with a giggle. "But now I can see why I support Mitsuki now - she loved someone with every part of her life. How can I be jealous of someone like that?"

"Even though Izumi's an idiot, he probably still likes you." Takuto tried his best to make Meroko feel like she wouldn't be the only one left alone in the world.

"No, I can't look at him the same way ever since he made his feelings _crystal clear_ to me." She sighed and set her head on her knees. "At least I'm doing something noble, right?"

"Definitely," Takuto answered and they let each other's thoughts sink in for a few moments. Being Shinigami partners, they had worked together on some tricky cases, but they knew each other pretty well. They were better off being friends than in love.

"Oh, she's awake," Meroko alerted Takuto as she heard Mitsuki yawn behind them. She heard his light footsteps as he rose to say good-morning to her. Watching the sunrise alone wasn't so bad - it gave her strength for what needed to be done in seven days. _I've only heard about how to transfer memories _once_, and it didn't end up the way that was intended…but it _could _work. But wouldn't Takuto rather be with her as a human? How do I do that? _She thought and closed her eyes to let the gradual sunlight wash over her. _I would do anything for him - almost like how he made it snow for her… I wish I knew how to fall in love like that…_

**_random babble..._i finally did get a snow day (so it's 1 1/2 snow day) and i was plowing through my ideas today. i actually wrote 4 songs between yesterday and today (my random inspiration struck...and _hard_). a few thoughts on this chapter - i wanted Meroko to sing the song _Save Her _so badly (i actually wrote it for her before i began this story) and i was finally able to put it in. also, i really don't know what i'm going to do next chapter, so it's going to be a giant surprise to both you, the reader, and me (i might take a small break to get ideas). a bientôt et au revoir (see you soon and good-bye)!**


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